Redemption
by lioness78
Summary: Can anyone be redeemed even Wesker rated R for some language
1. Default Chapter

Okay I would like to first say I don't own anything Resident Evil, the only person I own in this story is Isabel. The second thing I would like to say is thank you for taking the time and reading this story. It is the first thing I have ever written and I am sure that there's plenty of room for improvement in my technique, which hopefully as I write more will become better. I know that this story will not agree with everyone and if you truly I'm fine with that but please don't be mean in your reviews. I've finished the whole thing so any suggestions on writing style I will definitely use, in my next story. So don't be offended if you don't see much of a change after leaving ideas. Again I would like to say thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy. Oh and I'm still trying to figure out the whole posting thing so forgive me if things aren't quite right. E.  
  
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Isabel didn't want to open her eyes. She wanted to continue dreaming. Dreams were all she had now and they comforted her. As she opened her eyes she looked around the room she was in, although it wasn't a room it was a cell. All white no color to be found. A sink with a mirror over it and a toilet took up one wall. A bed on the opposite wall and there were no windows. The only light in the room came from the blinding fluorescent lights above, which she had no control over. The door to the room was made of a thick, cold steel with some kind of numeric pad next to it. Isabel didn't really know how long she had been here. She had been knocked unconscious upon entering her apartment one evening after work. When Isabel awoke she had been told that it had been a few days since her capture. She had asked what a few days meant but was given no answer. So her questions began and the main questions were who are these people and why was she here. She had of course asked, but again no one answered. Isabel soon found out what they wanted.  
  
For two days Isabel was left alone. She hadn't seen another soul except when her food was brought to her and when that happened Isabel was never spoken to, the person delivering her tray usually handed it to her silently and left. Isabel was starting to think that whom ever was in charge had forgotten about her. That thought didn't put her at ease though it only served to frighten her more and by the time she was finally collected from her cell Isabel had a feeling that was exactly what they wanted.  
  
Two days after she awoke in this place the real terror began. At first it hadn't been bad. Someone Isabel assumed was a guard collected her from her cell and took her to some sort interrogation room. It wasn't much bigger than her cell and like her cell was all white, with fluorescent lights over head. The only furniture in the tiny room was two chairs with a table between them. Papers were strewn about on the table and Isabel assumed they were files on her, why else would they be there? One of the two chairs was empty the other held a man she had never seen before. He had dark well- kept hair, hazel eyes and a neatly trimmed mustache. He also had worn an expensive blue suit, white shirt and a blue tie that had matched his jacket and pants perfectly. Securing the tie was a diamond tiepin. It was clear from the first question that he wanted to know about her father. It was also clear that he thought Isabel had recently had contact with her father and knew where he was. They had put her through all this to find a man she hadn't talked to since she was twelve. At first Isabel had thought that if she were truthful they would let her go. How naive she had been, as soon as she told the gentleman in front of her the truth, the atmosphere in the room changed from almost pleasant to a harsh tension.  
  
"If that's the way you want to play it then fine we'll play." Her Interrogator had spat out.  
  
At first he had seemed nice enough but when Isabel had told him she didn't know anything he had lost control of his temper, for a split second she thought he might hit her. The dark haired man had regained control of himself fairly fast and left the room. Isabel had never gotten his name, but then it didn't matter she had never seen him again anyway. When they had taken her back to her cell she had thought that was the end of it, unsure of what was going to happen to her, she had fallen into a fitful sleep hours after the over head lights had gone off.  
  
The next day was worse. The minute the lights came on two guards had bound into the room, and dragging her from bed by the neck, had beat her. While one had held her still the other had relentlessly attacked her not caring where his punches landed. When she could no longer stand on her own the guard holding Isabel had let go of her and let her fall where she may. While she was lying on the floor the man that had held Isabel gave her a departing kick in the ribs and they had left the room. It had all happened so fast she barely had time to register what was happening. After they were done all she could do was lie on the floor were they left her. Isabel knew she had laid there for what seemed an eternity before she started the process of picking herself off the floor. She could barely move, every muscle screamed in protest as she rose to her knees. Isabel made her way to the bed like that on her hands and knees, half-crawling half dragging herself. It had taken all of her remaining strength to pull herself up onto the bed. There Isabel had sat for a few minutes catching her breath. How can people be so cruel, I didn't do anything was all Isabel could think tears streaming down her face. Once the tears had subsided she fell into a nightmare filled sleep.  
  
Isabel knew she had re-awakened later that day just in time for another guard to come in. The name Jeffries was stitched on his uniform above the right pocket. He had brown eyes and hair and seemed young. She had thought him younger than her own twenty-six years, but she couldn't tell for sure. He seemed shocked at the state she was in, but it had passed quickly.  
  
Jeffries escorted Isabel to what she thought of now as the shower room. It was a large area reminiscent of a locker room, all white tiles that echoed every sound. There were no lockers though, just row after row of shower stalls. The young guard had handed her a pile of clothes, a towel and a bar of soap then promptly left. Isabel knew that they were watching there were cameras mounted in all four corners of the room. She wanted the hot shower to soothe some of the ache in her body so she stripped, showered and dressed as fast as she could. In her present condition it was a slow grueling process. Isabel's suspicions were confirmed when seconds after she had finished dressing Jeffries had re- entered the room. In his hand he carried a comb. He told her he thought she might need it. A faint smile had passed Isabel's lips at his kindness. The smile had caused the side of her face to ache again as she pocketed the comb and left the room.  
  
Instead of taking Isabel back to her cell after the shower, the young guard had taken her a few corridors down to a door marked infirmary. There, a man who introduced himself as doctor Williams began inspecting her. He took X-rays of Isabel's entire body, poked and prodded what seemed like every bruise she had, and then declared there was no permanent damage. Before she left Isabel did hear him tell Jeffries that if they had to further educate her to lay off the head. If they did any serious damage, they would never be able to get the information they needed. It had been a good thing she hadn't had anything in her stomach. To hear a doctor talk like that had made her nauseas. Jeffries just nodded his head and took Isabel back to her cell. She hadn't seen him again either.  
  
When Isabel had gotten back to her cell, there had been a tray of food left on her bed. It had been cold and she hadn't touched it, she hadn't felt like eating. Instead Isabel walked over to the sink to splash some cool water on her face that's when she noticed the tooth brush and tooth paste someone had left there. Isabel had never realized how she had taken such simple things for granted. To have the ability to comb her hair, brush her teeth, and take a shower in place like this meant more to her now than money or gold. For a brief moment she wondered if it had been more of the young guard's kindness  
  
As she brushed her teeth Isabel looked into the mirror and hardly recognized herself. Her chin length golden brown hair hung limp and stringy around her face. One of her green eyes was swollen and surrounded by a purplish blue bruise. It was so swollen she could hardly see out of it. Isabel's cheek and jaw wore the same color bruise in the shape of a hand, as did her neck where they grabbed her. Her top lip was also swollen and split. Isabel had taken notice of the other bruises that adorned most of her body in the shower, but this had been the first time she had really seen her face. When she had finished Isabel took the comb out of her pocket and placed it next to the toothpaste on the sink. She then shuffled over to her bed laid down and surrendered to a thankfully dreamless sleep.  
  
Isabel awoke the minute the lights came on, but she just laid there frightened the two guards from the previous morning would make an appearance. After a few minutes she decided it was safe to begin her morning rituals of brushing her hair and teeth. As Isabel finished another guard walked in, she didn't bother to take notice of his name or what he looked like, it wouldn't matter she probably wouldn't ever see him again after the day was over.  
  
This new guard took her back to the interrogation room, where there was a new man seated across the table from her. He hadn't been dressed in a suit or guard uniform. He had worn black pants and a white shirt and had gray hair, blue eyes and looked to be in his late fifties.  
  
"Now that you have had time to think about things we'll begin again." He stated.  
  
Then it had happened all over again. They asked their questions and she answered them as best as she could, but they didn't believe her.  
  
"Since you deem it necessary to continue your defiance we'll give you more time to think about it," he said far too pleasant to be reassuring.  
  
Isabel was lead back to her cell and when she got there found another tray of food on her bed, again it was cold but she was starving having been a day and a half since her last meal. She finished the food quickly, and spent the rest of the day on the bed wondering what was to come next, until she finally fell asleep.  
  
Three mornings after her first interrogation her worse fears were realized. The guards that had beaten her two days ago came back into her room moments after the lights came back on. They were just as brutal with her as before leaving her again in a pile on the floor. This time almost immediately after they were done another guard came to collect her. It was the same routine, he took her to the shower room and back to the infirmary and again the doctor had cleared her. That had been four days ago, and they had repeated this process twice since then. The last time Isabel had been interrogated she hadn't bothered answering at all, what was the point if no one believed her. This had pushed the man with the gray hair to his limits all pleasantness gone he had threatened her.  
  
"If you think those little sessions you've had were bad wait until we take their leash off." He had spat at her.  
  
Isabel didn't answer him or look at him, which just infuriated him more. He told the guard to take her back to her cell. As she had been about to leave the room he had called after her.  
  
"We shall have to come up with something special for you."  
  
At this, any hope Isabel held on to disappeared. She knew for certain she was a walking corpse. It was all just a matter of time.  
  
Isabel stretched in bed, as much as her battered body would allow anyway and began to sit up. She'd had a beautiful dream last night. There had been a little girl with blonde hair but part from that Isabel couldn't remember quite what she looked like. She only knew that they had played at the park. They laughed and swung on the swings, Isabel had been happy and free. When she realized it had been all a dream she was filled with despair.  
  
Isabel had no idea of what was going to happen to her. The guards that had become her constant torment had never come in with their usual wake up call, which frightened her. It could only mean one thing they had something else in mind for her. Isabel wondered if she would be able to take anymore of what was planned.  
  
Isabel finally deciding it was safe to begin her morning routine and had just finished brushing her hair when the door to her cell opened. She turned around to see a tall man in the doorway. He was wearing a uniform, but unlike the rest of the guards in this place there was no name on it. He was dressed in black from head to toe a black shirt, black pants, and black combat boots. The next thing Isabel noticed was so weird it should have been the first, was even though they were inside he wore sunglasses. He had blonde hair combed straight back, but was short enough it spiked. Isabel couldn't see his eyes but she had a feeling they were intense whatever color they were. He was handsome, stunningly so, even if it was a cold kind of handsome. He gave off the impression of someone who was used to getting what he wanted. There was no emotion on his face, and he scared her. Isabel didn't know why but he made her want to run and hide. All her instincts told her to get away from this man.  
  
She was afraid of him. He could smell it on her even though it didn't show on her face. Wesker had read her file, Isabel Marie Landen, born March 7th 1977, height: 5'8, weight: 155 pounds, father: James Landen, Mother: Denise Landen. He had also seen the picture that accompanied the file. It wasn't the same person anymore. The girl from the picture had been attractive, smiling and full of life. The girl in front him had a sadness about her and she held herself with a stiffness that told of the pain she was in. Isabel's left eye was still slightly swollen and had the final stages of a bruise around it as did her cheek and throat. Her brown hair was tucked behind her ears. The rest of her, he could tell, had bruises in various degrees of healing. His men had done their job well but not well enough. Again he found himself annoyed at HCF they couldn't even extract a little bit of information from this slip of a girl. He had been called in when he had finally learned the whereabouts of Redfield and his friends.  
  
Well better get to work, Wesker though as he stepped toward her. It was like a dance as he stepped forward Isabel took a step back trying to keep as much distance between them as possible, but there was only so much room in the tiny cell. She soon found herself in a corner. It wasn't really the best place to be in a situation like this but she didn't have a choice.  
  
Isabel could sense there was something different about this man. It's the way he moves. She thought, like a hunter stalking his prey. His movements were swift and graceful and with a few steps he was directly in front of her, his presence seemed to fill the room. He was so close their bodies almost touched. Isabel knew he was trying to intimidate her, and she was tired of people doing that. She immediately straightened her spine. Lifting her head she looked him dead in the eye or were his eyes would have been, had he not been wearing those ridiculous sunglasses.  
  
Wesker was slightly amused, slightly impressed even with all Isabel had undoubtedly been through she had decided to hold her ground. He knew that most people when having their personal space invaded would step back and try to put distance between themselves and the other person. Miss Landen had chosen to react in the opposite manner, straightening up and holding her place almost challenging him. True there wasn't much room between her and the wall, but she could have backed right up to it, she didn't.  
  
"So you're the one giving us so much trouble." Wesker finally stated looking down at her.  
  
The blonde man spoke as if every word was chosen carefully as to not give away any emotion or thought he might have. His voice was smooth and this close Isabel could feel the power radiating off of him. She also could have sworn she saw a flicker of a grin on his face, but in a blink it was gone. With what her instincts were now telling her about this man made her want to rethink her stance but he didn't give her time.  
  
"One way or another you will give us the information we want. Of course my methods are a lot more persuasive than my comrades." He continued  
  
With that he grabbed her arm, and saw her flinch as he hit a particularly fresh bruise. He propelled her out of the room and down the hall without another word. Isabel was picking up the faint impression he was annoyed by all of this, but she couldn't tell why. Surely this was his job, to deal with unhelpful subjects such as her. 


	2. chapter 2

Okay I know that since everyone on this site is very intelligent that they would notice that I made a mistake on my first chapter I caught it once before and thought I fixed but I guess I didn't Isabel's birthday should be 1973 instead of 1977 I know some people don't like the story anyway and are probably laughing at me right now, but oh well here goes anyway.  
  
Wesker led Isabel to the interrogation room that she knew so well. It was different this time, the table was gone and in its place was a metal chair. As he sat her down she noticed that there were two other men in the room, but she didn't pay them any attention, all of it was fixed on the man in front of her. Isabel didn't know what was about to happen and frightened her. For some reason every scene she'd ever seen from every movie where some one was tortured flashed through her head. Isabel watched the blonde man pull up a stool and sat right in front of her. As he raised his hand she readied herself for a blow but instead he merely took of the sunglasses. What lay behind them surprised and disturbed Isabel. His eyes weren't normal, they had a reddish yellow color to them and the pupils weren't round they were more like cat's eyes.  
  
Wesker was pleased by Isabel's reaction. He had seen the surprise shoot across her face before she could conceal it. He had of course meant for it to scare her, he very rarely took his sunglasses off and since his transformation he had realized his eyes held great shock value. When Wesker was dealing with a particularly stubborn subject he made sure that they knew just what they were dealing with.  
  
What the hell is he? Isabel thought. He can't be human. No ones eyes look like that. She had known that there was something different about him, now she was beginning to understand why. Isabel was definitely afraid of this man.  
  
"I'm surprised they didn't think of this before, but they were never the brightest people." Wesker stated never taking his eyes off hers.  
  
Again Isabel could tell he was irritated by the fact he was here. She then realized the other two men had been preparing something on a table in the far left corner of the room.  
  
"It's finished sir." One of the men said handing him a syringe filled with a clear liquid. At that both men left the room.  
  
"If you would extend your arm." He said as casually as someone on the street might ask for the time.  
  
Isabel didn't move, and after a moment she could tell his patience was running out even though there was no change in his demeanor.  
  
"If you don't give me your arm, I'll break it and give you the injection anyway." He said never changing his tone.  
  
She grudgingly extended her arm at this. It took only a second to administer the shot and when he was through he simply sat back to let the drug take effect.  
"In a moment we will have the information we want and this will all be over." He said looking directly into her eyes.  
  
"I guess you guys will send me home with a gift basket and a thank you right?" Isabel replied with a snort.  
  
This is it. She thought. I'm dead after this. Then Isabel realized something, it was getting harder and harder to breathe. Her chest felt as if someone were sitting on it and there was a slight buzzing in her ears that seemed to be getting louder. The blonde man was talking but it was mumbled. Something isn't right, was the last thought Isabel had before she slid off the chair and into unconsciousness.  
  
What the hell is she playing at, was the first thing Wesker thought as she slid to the floor. After a few moments Isabel still hadn't moved. He walked over to her, crouched down and turned her over. Isabel's color wasn't right, she was very pale and her lips were tinged with blue and her eyes were closed. Wesker automatically reached for her throat to check her pulse. It was so faint anyone but he would have missed it, and it was slowing down. Damn it! Was the second thing that went through Wesker's mind, if he lost her now it would be his ass. He knew that by the time any of the other doctors could get to the room she'd be dead.  
  
Wesker picked Isabel's still body up and ran full speed to the infirmary. It took him less than a minute to get to the infirmary but by that time her breathing and heart had stopped. As Wesker burst through the door with a sharp kick, the medical staff looked up in surprise thinking they were under attack. The remains of the metal infirmary door hung by a piece of the top hinge. Wesker walked over to the examination table silently and placed Isabel on it.  
  
"She had an unforeseen reaction to the drug we were using to get the information. Her heart has stopped, and if you value your life you will get it beating again." He stated in a brisk tone.  
  
Dr. Williams didn't skip a beat, as Wesker stepped back from the table he began working on Isabel. He knew Wesker would make good on his threat, so he doubled and re-doubled his efforts. Williams brought her back twice, when Isabel crashed for the third time. He was about to open her chest and manually stimulate her heart when the monitor picked up a slight beat that steadily grew stronger. Isabel also began to breathe on her own. Looking nervously at Wesker he began to speak.  
  
"She's alive, but we won't know how much damage has been done until she wakes up, if she wakes up. All we can do now is wait."  
"Fine, strap Miss Landen down I don't want her trying anything when she wakes up." Wesker replied never looking up from Isabel.  
  
Wesker wasn't happy with this turn of events. He would now have to wait for her to awaken meaning his plans for Redfield would be delayed again.  
  
Isabel had been unconscious for nearly two weeks. The room she occupied, like all the others in the facility was devoid of any color. It was a sterile white lined with metal counters and cabinets that housed various medical supplies. Isabel was surrounded by equipment that monitored her breathing, heart rate and brain wave activity. Wesker was there too, his black uniform a stark contrast to the surroundings. He had been by her side almost the entire time, not out of some kind of regret, but because when she awoke he wanted to resume questioning immediately. The sooner he got the information the sooner he could move on to his own agenda.  
  
The higher ups in the company had not been happy at this turn of events. Even though they for the most part were afraid of Wesker and his abilities they had voiced their concern about this latest screw up. The information regarding Isabel's father was important enough for them to threaten him. If she should not pull through, his life was forfeit. After all it had been his idea to drug her.  
  
Dr. Williams was making his usual check on Isabel when Wesker walked in through the new infirmary door.  
  
"If you were any other man Wesker, I would say you were taken with Miss Landen. But since you aren't I'll tell you what I've told you every day for two weeks, she won't be in any condition to talk when she wakes up." Dr. Williams stated never looking up from Isabel's chart.  
  
Wesker didn't reply as he took his seat a few feet from her bed. Ever since his success in keeping Isabel alive, the doctor had been more arrogant than ever. Wesker had the suspicion however, that it had been Isabel's doing, not the doctors. Instead of giving up her hold on life she had decided to fight.  
  
Darkness, she was surrounded by darkness. Isabel knew she had been dreaming a while ago, but now it was dark again. She heard the faint sounds of people talking, but couldn't make out what they were saying. Something told Isabel they were speaking of her. She tried to focus on the voices. Isabel wanted to know what they were saying.  
  
"What do you expect to do anyway, take her back to interrogation the minute she's awake?" That voice was vaguely familiar, but someone else was speaking also.  
"Miss Landen is a fighter I have no problem pushing her as far as I need to." Came the other voice, she knew that voice it was the blonde man.  
  
"You're in enough shit because of your little stunt. You can threaten me all you want Wesker but I will report it if you take Miss Landen out of here before I release her."  
  
Wesker, so the blonde man did have a name. It was taking all of Isabel's strength to concentrate on the conversation going on and the darkness was trying to pull her back in. She didn't want to go, so she did as Wesker said she would and fought. As Isabel did so she began pick up other sounds around her, the machines she was hooked up to, the footsteps of the people in the room and the buzz of the lights over head, until finally with great effort she began to open her eyes. Light flooded in temporarily blinding her. As Isabel became accustomed to it she started making out details. The first thing she saw was the ceiling tile and turning her head to the left she saw the heart monitor she was hooked up to. It was as Isabel repositioned her head to look to her right she saw the blonde man. No that isn't right, she thought, Wesker, that's who he is. She saw Wesker standing over her.  
  
"I told you she was a fighter," He said to Dr. Williams.  
  
That was the last thing she heard as she closed her eyes her energy spent.  
  
When Isabel awoke again she realized she was strapped to the bed she lay on. There were leather belts holding her wrists and her ankles and one strapped across her waist. Isabel could wiggle a little bit but that was about all. She would have found the whole thing kind of amusing if her situation was different. Isabel knew she was alone in the room, and judging by the dimmed lights she guessed it was night. She had no idea of how long she had been unconscious this time either. Isabel was trying to decide if she should go back to sleep, something she really didn't want to do, when she heard a door open.  
  
Dr. Williams walked in followed closely by Wesker. They seemed to be discussing something Isabel couldn't make out and as soon as they saw her awake they stopped. Dr. Williams began to smile as he walked over to her bed.  
  
"Well luckily I was on duty when your little incident occurred, other wise you wouldn't be here. Of course you can thank me for saving your life later." He stated giving her a toothy grin.  
  
"I'll put it on my to-do list." She retorted in a hoarse voice. Isabel hadn't realized how thirsty she was until she spoke. She thought about asking for some water, but doubted Wesker would allow it.  
  
"We will be keeping you here a couple of days until you recover a little more." He continued totally missing the sarcasm in her voice.  
  
Wesker hadn't missed it though. She almost died and she's still being a smart ass, he thought to himself, and that idiot doctor completely missed it.  
  
"Am I going to be strapped down the whole time?" She asked tugging at the restraints.  
  
Dr. Williams was about to reply when Wesker cut in.  
  
"We will take the restraints off, but if you try anything I have no problem with breaking your legs to keep you immobile." He replied placing his hand on her left shin and giving it a hard squeeze to make his point.  
  
Isabel Knew he was dead serious, so she nodded her head in compliance. She was irritated by the way he was treating her. She had never tried to escape. Isabel had complied with every order given to her, even after she had realized no matter what they wouldn't let her go. With her slight nod Wesker motioned for the doctor to remove the straps. Isabel automatically began rubbing her wrist once she was free, the belts hadn't been tight but it was nice to be able to move again. She wiggled her wrists and feet and began to sit up.  
  
"How long was I unconscious?" She asked Dr. Williams. He seemed to be more forth coming with any information than his associate.  
  
"You were out for almost two weeks, which is lucky considering." He replied.  
  
"Considering what?" She couldn't help but ask.  
  
"That you were clinically dead for several minutes. But I pulled you through." He said full of himself again.  
  
Wesker had enough of this she knew what happened, it was time to get back to the reason he was here.  
  
"I believe it's time we finished our little discussion." Wesker said stepping right in front of her.  
  
"Wesker, I told you, you can't finish questioning her until she checks out. It will take a couple of days then she's all yours." Dr. Williams said from somewhere behind her.  
  
Wesker doesn't look happy about that, Isabel thought. She was happy that it would be at least a few days before she had to face him again.  
  
"Fine, I'll see you in a few days." He said leaning down until his face was inches from hers, this close she could again feel power radiating from him. With that he straightened and walked out the door.  
  
After two days of being in Dr. Williams' presence Isabel almost wished she were back in the interrogation room with Wesker. He had gone on the whole time how lucky she was and how he had brought her back three times. Isabel was getting tired of hearing it as he ran what seemed and endless array of tests. When the doctor had finally told her he was finished and that she would be returning to her "room" she had never been so happy.  
  
The guard that Isabel assumed Wesker had placed at the door to the infirmary had escorted her to the shower room and then back to her cell. This is where she sat now waiting for Wesker to put in an appearance. 


	3. chapter 3

Thank you Shakahnna for your kind words, I hope the rest doesn't disappoint you too much. I was feeling a little down for a while but it's nice to know that somebody else is reading my story. E ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------  
  
By the time Wesker walked through the door to her cell Isabel had begun pacing, it was a habit she had since she was twelve. When ever she was nervous or particularly upset she paced. Isabel wasn't aware that she did it and it tended to make those around her nervous. When Wesker walked in she froze mid stride and stared at him.  
  
"I told you I would see you in a couple of days. Now we can take care of this little matter." He stated walking towards her.  
  
"I've already told you all I know." Isabel replied her green eyes blazing with anger. Somewhere between being led from the infirmary and Wesker walking through the door something had snapped inside her.  
  
"I'm afraid my employers don't believe you."  
  
"They can go to hell and so can you," Isabel said.  
  
"Now Miss Landen, there's no need for that language." He stated, like a teacher chiding a child.  
  
"We are just going to have a friendly conversation. If you would just tell us where your father, is this can all be over."  
  
"I'm so tired of this shit. I've told you the truth if you don't believe me then fuck you," Isabel spat.  
  
She usually didn't curse, but had finally been pushed to her limits. Isabel knew she wasn't getting out of here and had nothing to loose.  
  
"Like I said before, there is no need for that language."  
  
Wesker knew he had pushed Isabel as far as she would let him. Her attitude did change things he would have to try a different tactic. Not responding to being reasoned with, Wesker would have to show Miss Landen what he could really do.  
  
Wesker was re-evaluating the situation. Isabel could tell he was figuring out how to deal with her sudden change in personality. Would he go back to bullying her, she wondered. Maybe if she pushed Wesker more he would just end it, but Isabel didn't think so. He much was too in control of himself. Isabel knew she wasn't going to back down anymore, but that was all she knew.  
  
"Fuck you," was all she said arranging her face in an emotionless mask.  
  
Isabel couldn't hide the fire in her emerald eyes though.  
  
"By pushing me do you think I'll just kill you," he asked taking a step toward her.  
  
"I won't." He took another step.  
  
"There are so many ways I could inflict pain upon you before you actually die." Now he was right in front of her.  
  
"You're a bastard," Isabel stated looking directly where his eyes would be through the sunglasses.  
  
Wesker was tired of this conversation, it was time to show her who was in charge. As his fingers closed around her upper left arm, Isabel did something that took him and her by surprise. She brought up her right hand and hit him across the face, sending his sunglasses flying across the room. It hadn't been a slap, but it hadn't been a punch either. Isabel had balled up her hand and swung. She had never hit anyone before, but it had been sufficient enough, she guessed because there was a nice red spot on Wesker's face where she had made contact. Being able to release some of her anger made Isabel feel better, until she saw the expression on his face.  
  
Wesker wasn't sure who he was angrier at, Isabel for her actions or himself for being taken off guard. He should have known better, he knew she was agitated but hadn't thought she would strike out. Isabel's face was just as emotionless as before, but again her eyes gave her away. Wesker could see her own shock at what she had done, but there was also fear in them. He knew Isabel was afraid of how he would retaliate.  
  
"Do your worst," she said hiding it well.  
  
Wesker let go of Isabel's arm and before she could blink grabbed her by the throat.  
  
"I don't frighten you?" He said his face inches from hers his voice far to quiet.  
  
"No." Isabel gasped.  
  
"Lair, I can see it in your eyes. You're terrified of me." Wesker replied with a smirk.  
  
"Yes." Isabel answered truthfully, not breaking eye contact. Her honesty took him by surprise.  
  
Isabel then did the first thing that came to mind. She caressed the side of Wesker's face with her hand. Isabel wasn't sure what she was doing or why she was doing it, instinct seemed to take over. There was something about him, she couldn't grasp what it was but Isabel knew it was buried deep under his emotionless exterior.  
  
In reaction to Isabel's caress Wesker loosened his grip on her throat for an instant. Catching himself Wesker tightened his grip again, angry she would touch him in such a manner and that he had reacted as he had.  
  
"You're going to have to kill me, because I don't..."  
  
Isabel was cut off as Wesker's lips claimed hers in an angry kiss. As she met that with her own tenderness, it began to change until Wesker matched her tenderness with his own. All rational thought seemed to leave both of them as he began to undress Isabel.  
  
Albert Wesker was annoyed at the entire situation. He wasn't in control of himself or what had happened and he didn't like not being in control. Looking down at Isabel lying asleep on the bed, if that was what you could call it, he started to get dressed. As Wesker was tying his boots, he heard Isabel stir beside him. He looked down to see she had her eyes open and a slight smile on her lips. Wesker found himself even more annoyed at this because he wanted to smile back at her. Wesker did the only thing he knew how to do, he attacked first.  
  
"So is this where you ask me to let you go," he asked with a scowl.  
  
Isabel's smile faded almost instantly.  
  
"No, is that what you think, that I sold my body to you  
so you would get me out?"  
  
As Isabel said this she rolled over to face the wall trying with all her might not to cry. All she could think was what if that's the truth, what if I did expect that. Isabel felt Wesker's weight on the bed, as he placed his hands on her bare shoulders and turned her to face him. Wesker found himself doing something so out of character he wasn't sure where it came from. He tried to comfort her.  
  
"No I don't think that," he said.  
  
The disbelieving look Isabel gave him said that she wasn't buying it.  
  
"I don't believe that." He said again.  
  
In the end it was the truth. He didn't believe she used her body that way Isabel was a far too straight forward person to do such a thing. He was, however, at a loss about what had happened and suspected she was too. Isabel must have been attracted to him and Wesker had to admit she had intrigued him since the first time she'd stood up to him. It may have been a way to protect herself from what she was sure he was about to do, but he doubted that almost as much as Isabel using sex as a way to get out. She was a fighter and after last night he knew she also had a temper. It had almost gotten her into serious trouble. It was also disconcerting to Wesker that he had let it happen. He wasn't a man given to act on his desires except the ones to kill what ever got in his way. Wesker made the decision that from now on questioning would be done with more people around and with that he put the incident out of his mind.  
  
Six weeks later  
  
"Why don't you just tell us were your father is?" Wesker asked the same repetitive question.  
  
Isabel didn't bother to reply, after the first few weeks of this she had begun to just sit through these sessions silently. Every time they questioned her they wanted to know the same thing and for three weeks Isabel gave the same replies. Still no one believed her and she knew they never would.  
  
Albert had left her alone for nearly three weeks after they slept together. It had been as if he were afraid to be in the same room with her. He had made it clear to Isabel that he had been called away on a more important matter, but something told her that was a lie.  
  
Isabel learned Wesker's full name the day he had resumed questioning her. One of the other men in the room, his last name had been Kelly, made the mistake of calling Wesker by his first name. Isabel knew that it had been a mistake to do so when Albert had broken the man's nose. He had casually walked over to where the other man was standing, next to the counter and grabbing Kelly by the back of the neck, Albert slammed his face into the metal counter top, knocking the man unconscious. While Kelly had lain on the floor Albert looked at the other people in the room and stated that no one had permission to address him in that manner and that he would not tolerate insubordination. Isabel had begun to think of him as Albert anyway, though she never called him by either name.  
  
"Why don't we just drug her," One of the men in a lab coat said, breaking Isabel's train of thought, his last name was Scotts.  
  
Isabel had been able to make that out from his badge. All of the people around the place seemed to dress in the same attire, white shirts, black ties, and gray or black pants, with white lab coats displaying ID's on them. Scotts was a skinny man with a rat like appearance, long nose and beady eyes, his black hair was in dire need of a trim. Isabel didn't like any of them but this man made her skin crawl.  
  
"We can't," Wesker replied. "The last time we tried she had a bad reaction."  
  
"We can't risk it, if she does know where he is, she can't tell us if she's dead." The other scientist in the room spoke up, Harrison was his name.  
  
He had a boy next store look, blonde hair and blue eyes. He didn't have an athletic build, but he wasn't rat-like either. Looks could definitely be deceiving. Hearing him talk about the experiments he'd been apart of Isabel knew he was just as bad as Scotts.  
  
If they hadn't needed the information so bad, Isabel would have been dead eight weeks ago. Even so, they all knew her time was running out. If they hadn't broken her by now she wasn't going to break.  
  
"Take 4264 back to her room." Wesker barked, pointing to the guard standing by the door of the interrogation room. As she left, Isabel heard the conversation continue.  
  
"Well, how should we proceed? It's been two and a half months since she was brought here." Scotts said.  
  
"We could let the little bitch spend a few hours alone with one of the guards, they have methods." Harrison brought up.  
  
"They tried that at first. It didn't work that's why they brought me in." Wesker replied.  
  
"If she doesn't know anything then she's useless," Stated Scotts.  
  
"Not really, we always need new test subjects." Harrison finished.  
  
Wesker knew it would come to this, he had known the minute there was no use for Isabel she would become an experiment.  
  
Isabel looked at the door as it opened, Wesker was standing there with and empty syringe in his hand. As he walked towards her, she could tell he had something on his mind. As he allowed the door to close behind him he said,  
  
"Please, sit down."  
  
Aside from that, he didn't speak as he proceeded to take a blood sample. When he was finished he stood staring at her. He was a bit surprised when she reached up to take his sunglasses off. Isabel stared into his reddish- yellow eyes, with which she was now accustomed.  
  
"What is it," she asked in a low voice  
  
"It's been decided, they start experimentation on you as soon as the blood works back." He replied.  
  
"Al-Alright." Isabel said holding back tears.  
  
Wesker had expected her to cry, plead with him to free her, but he hadn't expected this. No pleas. No crying, Isabel just hung her head in acceptance of what was going to happen. It made him want to hold her, but he couldn't, it wouldn't do any good, her fate was sealed.  
  
Three days later  
  
"The blood work on 4264 is back," Scotts said walking into the lab.  
  
"Good we can begin," Replied Harrison.  
  
"Well, we found something." Scotts began.  
  
Harrison took the clipboard from Scotts. As he read through the pages he looked up.  
  
"Well this is interesting." Harrison replied.  
  
"What's interesting?" A voice asked from behind him.  
  
Looking up to see Wesker standing there, he handed him the clipboard. Wesker read through the report until he finished the last page.  
  
"What do you propose," he said in the same neutral tone he used with everyone.  
  
"I was thinking on a new set of experiments, not just the new virus," Harrison spoke up.  
  
"Fine carry on then," Wesker replied.  
  
As Wesker left the lab he took the corridor he knew so well, the corridor that led to Isabel's room. It took everything in him not to break into a run. Approaching her door he took a few deep breaths to calm himself. After a few seconds he entered the code that unlocked the door and walked in.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me?" where the first words out of his mouth.  
  
Isabel hadn't seen him this angry before and she knew that even under his cool demeanor he was angry.  
  
"I didn't think it would matter," she replied not trying to lie anymore.  
  
"I had a right to know." Wesker's voice got quieter, which Isabel knew he was getting angrier by the moment  
  
"I-I didn't want you to think I was using it as a way to get out," she stammered.  
  
At this he softened, walking over to where she was sitting on the cot and sat down next to her.  
  
"You should have told me. It's my child too." Wesker said, his voice sounding tired.  
  
"Would it have made a difference?" She asked in a wry voice.  
  
"No." He said after a moment.  
  
"You know it's weird, even though I know what's going to happen to me I've been thinking of names." Isabel said not looking at him.  
  
Wesker felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach. He took off his sunglasses and looked Isabel in the eyes.  
  
"I have to go. They will wonder were I've been. I'll be back tonight. Scotts and Harrison want Dr. Williams to examine you. They want to know exactly how far along you are before they decide what to do next." He said getting off the cot.  
  
Wesker leaned over to kiss her quickly on the lips and went to leave. As he walked to the door, Isabel went to lie down on the bed again.  
  
"Well little one." She said stroking her stomach. "At least your father knows about you."  
  
As Wesker walked down the hallway it hit him he had kissed her, it had been so natural that he hadn't even thought about it until this moment.  
  
Isabel woke with a start as the door to her room opened. Expecting to see Albert she was surprised to find it was Johnson, the guard who had been escorting her from her room to the lab. He was a big man, with brown eyes and hair cut into a military type style, cut close to the skin on the sides and very short on top all combed forward. He reminded Isabel of a bulldog. It was his massive chest. He seemed to be the type to lift weights.  
  
"Dr. Wesker sent me to take you to the infirmary," he said with a knowing smile.  
  
Isabel didn't like the idea of being examined by Dr. Williams. He was so full of himself and he gave her the creeps ever since she first met him. He hadn't cared that she had been beaten. What kind of a doctor was he anyway? Isabel didn't have a choice so she allowed Johnson to lead her down the long corridor to her appointment.  
  
Isabel's exam took thirty minutes. Wesker knew this because he had kept a steady eye on his watch. He wasn't sure of what to do now. He had never planned on having children, he had never wanted them. Wesker wasn't sure he wanted one now but it was a little late for that. In any case a family could be a liability in his kind of work. Family tended to cloud the issues, thinking about them at the wrong time could get you killed. Wesker had to admit though there was something appealing about Isabel being pregnant, it marked her as his and he definitely liked that. He also knew there was no way he was going to let them experiment on his child. That meant that he was going to have to get Isabel out of this place. He had a day, two at the most. Wesker knew Harrison and Scotts would want to go over her exam results thoroughly before they proceeded.  
  
He was interrupted from his train of thought by the phone ringing.  
  
"Yes." Wesker answered.  
  
"Her exam's finished. I'm sending her back to her room in a few minutes." It was Dr. Williams  
  
"Fine I'll be there in a minute to discuss her results." Wesker said replacing the phone in the cradle.  
  
As he picked up the papers he had been working on Wesker realized that he had only written three lines of his report on this new incident.  
  
As Isabel stepped into her room she was a bit uneasy as Johnson followed her in. She knew her instincts were right when he spoke.  
  
"I know what you and Dr. Wesker have been up to in here," he said with a smirk. "I thought since you were so willing, I'd show you what a real man could do."  
  
Johnson never liked Wesker. He was always walking around like he was better than everyone else, always barking orders. The other scientist always showed him a bit of respect, but Wesker was different, Wesker was an asshole. So he thought he would show Miss Landen what a real man was like.  
  
"No." was all Isabel could get out.  
  
"Well I'm afraid you don't have choice." He said taking a step towards her.  
  
Isabel backed up until her legs bumped the side of her bed. In three steps Johnson had her by the shoulders trying to kiss her. She struggled with all her might, but he was just too strong for her. I may not be able to stop you, you son of a bitch but I'm going to fight you all the way. Isabel thought still struggling.  
  
"I think the lady said no." Came a quiet voice from behind them.  
  
In an instant Wesker had the man by the throat he didn't have time to utter a word, before Wesker crushed his windpipe with one hand. All the guard could do was gasp for breath as he slowly suffocated. Wesker looked at Isabel expecting to see fear and disgust on her face. Instead she slowly walked over to him put her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. Wesker reflexively put his arms around Isabel as she silently cried.  
  
"I'm sorry." she mumbled from his chest "I couldn't stop him."  
  
"It wasn't your fault, he was a worthless animal." He replied lifting her chin with his hand, and brushing her tears away.  
  
"We don't have much time." he said handing her the guard uniform he had brought with him. "Put this on."  
  
As Isabel changed her clothes, Wesker dumped the guard's body on her bed and covered it. In a few minutes they were ready.  
  
It was a good thing I walked in when I did, Wesker thought as they started down the hallway. He had been running late, it had taken him longer to disable the security cameras and dispose of the guard in the monitor room than he thought. To keep things under control as much as possible they changed shifts at different intervals through out the complex. Wesker knew the monitor room was always first to be relieved, that way they could keep an eye on all the other shift changes. It had been easy enough to take care of the guard. He had simply broken his neck, but it had taken time to by pass the alarms and stop the cameras from recording. Wesker hadn't turned them off. He thought it better to leave them on. Wesker knew that if someone checked in at the right moment they would see him leading Isabel along the corridors and they would be caught, but if all went well they would be out of the building in minutes. By allowing the cameras to run even though they weren't recording and leaving the guard propped up on the chair, to the casual observer everything would be fine. The guard would simply look asleep and the monitors still functioning should give them time, hopefully several hours. Wesker hadn't planned to move this fast but as he was discussing Isabel with the doctor He had found out some disturbing things.  
  
He had walked into the infirmary to find Dr. Williams working on Isabel's chart.  
  
"What kind of shape is she in?" He had asked.  
  
"She's fine, in very good health." Dr. Williams had replied.  
  
"She wouldn't divulge who the father is, but I can tell you she's about six weeks so that puts the conception right after she woke from her coma. It shouldn't be too hard to narrow down who was around her to find out the father. I don't know who the lucky man was, but I envy him, she's a very beautiful woman." The doctor stated  
  
It had taken every bit of self restraint not to kill the man where he stood at that but Wesker hadn't.  
  
"I'm going to have her brought in for more tests, before Scotts and Harrison get a hold of her. I'm sure if I offer to get her out of here she'll be willing to do anything. They can have her after I've had her, so to speak." The Dr. had finished in a conspiratorial tone, not knowing the danger he was in.  
  
At this Wesker had taken Williams by surprise throwing him into the nearest wall with all his strength. Wesker heard the crack as his head made contact with the wall. As William's body slid down, left in its wake, was a trail of blood and brain matter. Wesker knew he was dead he didn't even have to check for a pulse. So he found himself in his current position again he wasn't in control and he didn't like it.  
  
As they rounded the final corner of the corridor, Isabel saw the doors leading out of the complex and her heart began to beat faster. Almost there, she thought to herself. It was all she could do not to run for them. Almost like he sensed what she was thinking Wesker placed his hand on her shoulder. Slowing her pace and taking a deep breath to calm herself, Isabel noticed the cameras following them as they cautiously walked to the door. She wanted to ask Albert about them, but could tell he wasn't in the mood to answer questions.  
  
When they got to the door Wesker imputed the code that would open it and as they slipped out into the night Isabel realized it was early fall, the chill in the air made her shiver slightly. With Wesker in the lead they walked across a large parking lot to the black jeep that awaited them. Even though it was night Isabel noticed that he made no move to take off his sunglasses.  
  
"When we get to the gate do not look at the guards, and if by chance they speak to you answer with a yes or no sir." Wesker warned as they neared the checkpoint.  
  
He doubted they would ask any questions they were at the end of their shift and just wanted to leave, the outside gate was always the last to be changed.  
  
"Identification please." The guard stated.  
  
As he checked Wesker's badge Isabel's already racing heart sped up further. It was beating so hard and fast that she was surprised that no one else could hear it. As the guard handed him his I.D. badge back, he glanced at Isabel as if he wanted to ask for her I.D. also, but since she was with Wesker he thought better of it. Turning back to his superior officer the young guard told Wesker to have a pleasant evening. Isabel hadn't realized she held her breath the whole time until they were a few yards away from the gate.  
  
After driving for half an hour Isabel broke the silence.  
  
"Albert, where are we going?"  
  
She could see him tense, even in the dim light, his knuckles tightening on the steering wheel.  
  
"I'm taking you to the people I betrayed at one time." He stated matter of factually.  
  
At this Isabel reached over and put her hand on top of his, trying to ease some of the tension in him. She knew it worked when she felt his grip loosen a slightly.  
  
"You said you were thinking of names, what have you come up with?" Wesker asked from out of the blue, after a few minutes.  
  
"I-I was thinking Albert, for a boy." She replied.  
  
Isabel surprised him yet again. This seemed to be the trademark of their relationship.  
  
"But it could be a girl also." She continued "I haven't really gotten that far yet."  
  
"Rosalie." Wesker replied.  
  
It was Isabel's turn to be surprised, that he would offer a name and so quickly.  
  
"That's a beautiful name." She said.  
  
"It was my mother's."  
  
As Wesker drove on he and Isabel settled into a comfortable silence, and before he knew it she was sound asleep. He knew they were making good time. It would be hours before anyone at HCF knew what had happened, that he had again betrayed the people he worked for, and who trusted him. Driving along, the wind blowing in the open driver's side window he thought of all the people he had betrayed. What was one more to a man like him? Looking at Isabel asleep next to him, so innocent he knew he had done the right thing this time. As she stirred he realized that she couldn't be comfortable, so he leaned over and reclined the seat. In a few more hours we'll be there. I wonder what our welcome will be like. He thought as he concentrated on the road before him. 


	4. chapter 4

Okay Veronica Wesker you asked for it so here some more and by the way is that Mrs. Wesker or some other relation? ha ha For Zarbok, you're probably right that he his faster and stronger than what I've said but since I'm not sure how much so I'll just leave it as is for right now. Also Shakahnna I agree with you, since it's your story you can right anything I just really liked yours and will read all of it, I just kind of felt sorry for the poor man almost getting run over and all. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The sun was just rising over the horizon when Wesker and Isabel pulled on to the narrow dirt path that would lead them to their destination. Isabel had just awoken from her slumber, sat up and looked at the tree-lined path they were on. The tree's had turned varying shades of yellow, red and orange, giving them the appearance of being on fire.  
  
"It's beautiful here." She said in awe.  
  
Isabel looked at Wesker when he didn't respond. She could tell he was even tenser than the night before. After a few minutes on the road the trees started to thin out and they came to a clearing.  
  
"I want you to stay in the car until I motion that it's safe." Wesker stated in a tone that was not to be argued with.  
  
The jeep came to a complete stop before a large farmhouse. It was a bluish gray color and two stories. The house was a fairly simple design, roughly a rectangle with slanted roof, and covered porch that spanned the whole front of the house. As Isabel looked around the front yard she saw a man walking toward the jeep. He was tall with brown hair that was short almost spiked on top. He wore a blue t-shirt and faded blue jeans but she couldn't make out any more than that. When Wesker got out of the car she saw him reach for something at the back of his jeans. A few seconds later she saw the gun he had pulled out.  
  
"Hold it right there asshole." Chris Redfield said through clenched teeth.  
  
Wesker stood perfectly still knowing he would need to act cautiously if they were to make it out unscathed.  
  
"Before I kill you. How the hell did you find us?" He continued.  
  
"I've known where you were for months. I was just waiting for the right moment to finish you off." Wesker retorted. "But I've found a more useful purpose for you."  
  
By this time the other residents of the house had filed out onto the porch. As Wesker scanned the faces of the people he had once lead and betrayed he saw fear, hate, and disbelief. He also realized that Isabel had gotten out of the car, when Chris swung his gun from Wesker to her. Knowing she still wore the guard uniform for the facility, He stepped between the gun and Isabel. Wesker saw the shock on Chris' face as he did so. What he didn't see was Isabel grimace and run behind the jeep. A few minutes later they both heard the distinct sounds of someone vomiting. It was just the edge Wesker needed. As Chris stood there trying to figure out exactly what was going on, Wesker seized the gun and knocked him to the ground. Seemingly suspended in time no one moved from the porch.  
  
"As much as I would love to be rid of you Redfield, I have someone with me that needs your help."  
  
With that Wesker put the safety back on the 9mm and dropped it next to Chris. Turning his back to him Wesker walked over to where Isabel reappeared from behind the jeep.  
  
"I told you," Wesker stated in a low voice, "To stay in the car."  
  
Isabel could tell he was angry with her, but she had a good reason.  
  
"I didn't think you would want me to be sick all over the interior of your jeep." She replied  
  
While Wesker and Isabel exchanged words everyone else seemed to snap out of their daze. Chris having picked the gun and himself off the ground had everyone surrounding him to make sure he was okay. None of them were quite sure what to do now. Wesker broke the silence, turning around he barked.  
  
"Chambers, you remember your medical training right? I have someone here who needs to be checked out."  
  
Looking at Chris uncertainly Rebecca replied.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Good, you can examine Isabel then." Wesker stated motioning for Isabel to go with her.  
  
Rebecca Chambers didn't move a muscle. Standing there she just looked at Chris.  
  
"Go ahead." Chris answered her unspoken question.  
  
Rebecca nodded and motioned for Isabel to follow her. As they walked to the house Wesker turned to leave.  
  
"Wait right there." Chris yelled. "We want some answers."  
  
Wesker turned back to him and spoke.  
  
"There is nothing to say Redfield. She needed help so I brought her here."  
  
"You're coming inside. You're going to answer a few questions." Chris said his gun once again trained on Wesker.  
  
Rebecca led Isabel through the front room of the house. It was a big room with hard wood floors and walls painted an off-white color. A big beige sofa with matching armchairs took up the center of the room along with a glass coffee table. There was a television hooked up to a VCR in a corner and videotapes strewn around the floor. Rebecca didn't speak until they reached a bedroom at the back of the hall leading off the living room. Turning to face Isabel Rebecca finally spoke.  
  
"My name is Rebecca Chamber's. What's yours?"  
  
"I-I'm Isabel Landen." She stuttered her reply.  
  
Rebecca Chambers was young, maybe 20 years old. She had short brown hair and grey eyes, she was slight of build, but she had warmth about her. All together Rebecca would be classified as pretty, but for some reason she seemed older than her years. She motioned for Isabel to take a seat on the bed.  
  
"I have to go get some equipment, and then we'll check you out." Rebecca stated as she left the room.  
  
She was gone for only a few seconds and when Rebecca returned she was carrying a little black bag. As she started to unload her equipment from the bag she smiled at Isabel in a reassuring way.  
  
"Do you work for Wesker?" She asked a frown replacing the smile.  
  
"No I was being held at this facility, and he got me out." She replied.  
  
"Oh." Rebecca said trying to hide her surprise.  
  
"How long were you there?" Came another question.  
  
"I'm not really sure, maybe two and a half, three months."  
  
"How do you feel now?"  
  
"Aside from what I think was morning sickness pretty good."  
  
"Your pregnant?" Rebecca asked stunned.  
  
"Yes, about six weeks I think, it was hard to keep track of time in that place."  
  
"I'm sorry," was the only thing Rebecca could think to say.  
  
"Why, it isn't a bad thing I want this baby, I don't know if that makes any sense."  
  
Again Isabel saw kindness and caring in the young medic's eyes, as she gave her a slight smile.  
  
"Well, everything seems normal, right now." Rebecca said packing up her equipment.  
  
"You can shower and change into these they should fit. Your about the same size as Claire." She said handing her a pile of clothes she had also brought with her.  
  
As Isabel started the shower she had no idea about the debate that raged in the kitchen.  
  
When Rebecca walked into the kitchen the sight was a bit of a shock. There sitting at the table were her friends and the man who tried to kill her once. Even though Chris had told them all Wesker was still alive and that they had a run in at Rockfort Island, she really hadn't believed it. Yet there he was in all his arrogance. Why would he help Isabel? The thought raced through Rebecca mind. Albert Wesker didn't care for anything but himself. Then just as fast the answer came to her, her eyes widened with shock and she let out a little gasp. Everyone at the table looked up at the sound, but she quickly composed herself.  
  
"Is everything okay?" Chris asked concerned.  
  
"Everything's fine, she checks out fine," Rebecca answered.  
  
Turning to Wesker she said, "She's in the bedroom at the back of the hall, she's asking for you."  
  
Rebecca knew it was a lie but she wanted to talk to the group without him listening, having a ghost sitting in front of her was unnerving.  
  
As Wesker got up from his place Chris went to stop him, but the look Rebecca gave Chris stopped him in his tracks. Rebecca waited until she heard the bedroom door open and close before she gave her report.  
  
"Well," she began, "she's in pretty good condition for what she's been through."  
  
"Is she infected with something?" Chris cut in.  
  
"As far as I can tell no, and if you would let me finish you would know everything." She said shortly, she didn't like to be cut off mid- sentence.  
  
"Sorry." Chris said taken aback, he wasn't used to Rebecca loosing her temper.  
  
"Anyway as I was saying she's in good health, I know you are all worried about the display this morning. It was a bout of morning sickness."  
  
As Rebecca looked around the table she saw the shocked faces of her friends.  
  
"Are you sure?" Jill spoke up from Chris' right side.  
  
"I believe her. She said she's about two months along. It won't be hard to verify with a home pregnancy test. In the meantime, I think she should stay in bed for a couple days to rest. That way we can keep an eye on her." Rebecca spoke to Jill.  
  
"I don't care. If she's fine then they should both leave. For one she's with Wesker and two, if and I mean if, she did escape HCF will be looking for her. Chris spoke up again.  
  
"We can't do that and you know it," Jill said placing her hand on his, "she needs our help we can't turn her away."  
  
"What if it's a trick?" Claire piped up from across the table, "Wesker's an asshole. What if he's using her to get to us? He wants us dead, all of us." She stated looking around the table.  
  
"Hey I don't know the guy, just what I've heard but if she needs our help we should do it." Carlos spoke up.  
  
"Yeah Carlos has a point." Leon added.  
  
At that Claire gave Leon a look that could turn men to stone. Leon took her hand in his as he spoke.  
  
"I know what he did to you and what happened with Steve, but we can't just turn an innocent woman away."  
  
"Fine." Was all she said, but she didn't look at Leon and Rebecca could tell she wasn't happy with the group's decision.  
  
When Wesker walked into the bedroom he heard the shower shut off. Taking a second he looked around the room, he saw a pile of clothes on the bed. The room was sparse just a bed, a night table, lamp and a dresser. Since there were no chairs Wesker sat on the edge of the bed next to the clothes. A few minutes later Isabel came out of the bathroom wrapped only in a towel. When she saw him, a look of surprise flashed across her beautiful face. Wesker knew then that Rebecca had lied, Isabel hadn't asked for him. She just didn't want him around when she spoke to the others. After a second in deep thought he turned his full attention back to Isabel. Taking off his glasses he spoke.  
  
"How are you feeling now?"  
  
"Fine, just a little tired." She replied as she started to dry her hair.  
  
"Are you mad at me?" She continued.  
  
"I'm angry that you didn't listen to me, but it's over now so there's nothing to do about it." He answered.  
  
Isabel held his eyes with hers for a second then shyly looked down, that's when she noticed she was half naked. Even though they had slept together she blushed from the tip of her head to her toes. Seeing this made Wesker smile, it was endearing to see her react that way.  
  
"I think I should get dressed." She said starting to grab for the clothes.  
  
"Go Ahead." Wesker couldn't help playing this little game with her.  
  
"Well I um." She couldn't quite get the words out.  
  
"I have seen you naked before, or have you forgotten?"  
  
"How could I forget, I'm going to...." She couldn't finish that statement either, but Wesker already knew what she meant so he let it drop.  
  
"Or you could dress in the bathroom."  
  
He decided to put an end to the game. Isabel nimbly reached around him grabbed the clothes and went into the bathroom to change.  
  
Upon reentering the bedroom Isabel noticed that Albert had switched positions on the bed, he was now directly facing the way she entered the room and he had left the sunglasses off. Isabel liked that it made her feel closer to him, more connected.  
  
"You're leaving." She stated looking at him.  
  
Isabel didn't know how she knew she just did.  
  
"It will be safer for you if I'm not here."  
  
"I don't care what's safe, I want you here. I don't want to do this alone." Isabel was in tears now.  
  
Being only the second time Wesker had ever seen her cry it made him uncomfortable.  
  
"I will be back to check in on you when it's safer, and you won't be alone they'll be here for you." He said motioning in the direction of the kitchen.  
  
"I want the father of my child to be here, I don't care about them." As Isabel's voice got louder with anger Wesker's got quieter.  
  
"I am doing what is best for the both of you. Do not argue with me on this." He said walking over to her.  
  
Wesker put his arms around her and drew her to him, and held her close. He didn't know why he felt compelled to comfort her, but for some reason it felt right. He was about to say something else when someone knocked on the door.  
  
"Enter." Wesker said as they stepped apart.  
  
Isabel saw him reach for the sunglasses in his pocket and place them firmly on his face an instant before Rebecca stepped into the room.  
  
"I thought I would come and officially introduce you to everyone." She stated looking at Isabel.  
  
"Then I'd like you to stay in bed and rest a few days."  
  
"Is there something wrong?" Wesker asked trying to mask the concern on his face, but Rebecca picked up on it.  
  
"No, she's fine so is the baby."  
  
"But with all she's been through I think bed rest would be good for them." Her full attention was on Wesker now.  
  
"Well let's take you out and introduce you." She said as she turned back to Isabel  
  
"Then we'll get you guys some food."  
  
"I'm not staying." Wesker stated  
  
At this Rebecca reached behind her back and produced her sidearm for a split second Isabel thought she was going to threaten him, but Rebecca handed it to him.  
  
"You may need this then." She commented nonchalantly. Wesker was about to decline when she finished with.  
  
"I'll get another we have a few around here."  
  
At that she smiled. Wesker simply nodded and stuck the gun in his belt. As they left the room and walked toward the kitchen Wesker put his hand on Isabel's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. He then detoured to the left and headed out the front door. Isabel just stood there trying not to cry. She felt Rebecca put her arm around her shoulder as she guided Isabel to the kitchen.  
  
As Isabel looked at the faces around the table she felt as if she were facing a firing squad.  
  
"Well." Rebecca began. "We'll start with Chris."  
  
"Isabel Landen this is Chris Redfield."  
  
As Rebecca made the introduction Isabel studied him. He was the man who had pulled the gun on Wesker and herself this morning. Along with his brown hair he had intense blue eyes that were slightly narrowed at her. She could tell that while she was sizing him up, he was doing the same to her. Chris Redfield was in her opinion a handsome man. He had an athletic build to him. She could tell he wasn't happy about the situation, but she could see a kindness in him. Rebecca was moving on to the next person and Isabel was pulled out of her speculation to concentrate on them.  
  
"To Chris' right we have Jill Valentine."  
  
Jill was beautiful her straight chin length brown hair was perfectly combed. Her eyes were striking they were a blue so light they were almost transparent. She seemed very elegant and intelligent even her choice in clothes was different from the rest of the people at the table, she work khaki pants and light blue knit shirt that matched the color of her eyes almost exactly. Isabel could tell she wasn't the type to be fooled easily, but Rebecca wasn't giving her time to process everything as she moved to the person sitting next to Jill.  
  
"The man sitting on Jill's right is Carlos Oliviera." Rebecca said with a hint of a smile.  
  
Isabel could tell right away the young girl had a crush. She had always been good at reading people even if she had just met them. She couldn't blame the other girl, he was handsome. His brown hair was on the long side with a bit of natural wave to it. His brown eyes seemed to have a smile in them as if he knew a joke no one else did. His skin had a natural tan color to it, that and his name had her guessing he was of some Latin decent. He wore jeans and black t-shirt. But again Rebecca was moving on.  
  
"To Chris' left is Claire Redfield, his little sister."  
  
Her hair and eye color were that of her brother. Rebecca hadn't needed to tell her they were siblings there was no mistaking it. Claire's hair was long and in a high ponytail on her head. Isabel could tell by the cut off shorts and oversized red T-shirt that she was a tomboy at heart, and would probably take any guy head on. Isabel could see that she also wasn't happy about this even more so than her brother.  
  
"And finally we have Leon Kennedy." Rebecca said again breaking her concentration.  
  
She motioned to the man sitting on Claire's left. He had straight red hair about medium length, and gray eyes. He was in good shape but he wasn't as muscular as Chris or Carlos, he seemed the kind of person who, while able to protect himself, would use his intellect to get out of tricky situations. He wore black cargo shorts and a red and black flannel shirt over a white t-shirt. All together they were a good-looking group of people who seemed to compliment each other.  
  
"Everyone this is Isabel Landen." Rebecca finally finished.  
  
They all seemed to be nodding at her, Carlos and Jill even said "Hi."  
  
"Where's Wesker." Chris broke in, "He has some questions to answer."  
  
"I let him leave." Rebecca said bracing for his reaction.  
  
"You did what?"  
  
"What the hell were you thinking?" He said turning a nice crimson color.  
  
"He thought it would be safer for Isabel if they split up and I agreed with him." She replied holding her ground.  
  
He took several deep breaths to calm himself before Chris finally spoke again.  
  
"So you just let him leave? He could have given us useful information."  
  
"I didn't just let him go... I gave him my gun also."  
  
"So you're telling me that you not only let someone who can't be trusted just leave, but you also gave him your firearm." Chris said in total disbelief.  
  
"You do realize he wants us all dead right?"  
  
"I know but he's just as much on the run as her." Rebecca replied motioning to Isabel.  
  
"So it will be my ass if I'm wrong." She finished.  
  
"You're too soft, just because he has helped one person doesn't mean he's changed." He said shaking his head  
  
"I'm a medic not a solider, I'm supposed to be soft." She replied, defending herself.  
  
"Hey, guys what's done is done we should just drop it." Leon spoke up.  
  
"Fine, you can answer some questions then." Chris said his attention back on Isabel.  
  
"Chris I want her to rest." Rebecca cut in.  
  
"She can answer a few questions first." He replied his voice like stone.  
  
"It's all right." Isabel said to Rebecca, seeing the disapproving look on her face. She sat down at the table straight across from Chris, her gaze never leaving his.  
  
"What do you want to know?" Isabel asked getting straight to the point.  
  
"First of all why you were at the facility, what did they want with you?" He replied.  
  
"I was there because they wanted to know where my father is. I guess he worked for them. From what they told me he was working on a new project when he disappeared." Isabel answered honestly.  
  
"Do you know where he is?" Chris broke in.  
  
"No they kept asking me, and when I told them that, they brought people in to persuade me."  
  
Chris lowered his eyes for an instant. He knew what persuade meant. As he raised his eyes back to Isabel he half expected to see tears at these traumatic events, but there were none she just continued.  
  
"When that didn't work they brought Albert in. He tried drugs to get the information, but I had a reaction to them I woke up in the infirmary a couple of weeks later."  
  
"Were you pregnant at the time?" Jill spoke up.  
  
"No, that happened later." Isabel replied.  
  
"You weren't...." Chris trailed of not able to put something so horrible into words.  
  
"No." Isabel turned her attention back to him.  
  
"Last night almost... But it was stopped. Anyway after the infirmary they left me alone for a couple of weeks. Then they tried bargaining with me, if I would just tell them where he was they would let me go." She let out a short laugh at this, "But I couldn't tell them because I didn't know. Then I was helped to escape." She finished.  
  
"Do you know why Wesker helped you out of there?" Jill asked.  
  
"No. His reasons are his own." Isabel said after a moment's hesitation.  
  
It really wasn't a lie. When it came down to it Isabel didn't know what changed his mind. She knew a baby wouldn't really matter to a man like him, would it? Jill was a perceptive woman herself and even though she believed the girl's story she wasn't quite sure she had been totally forthcoming when Isabel had answered the Wesker question. She wasn't going to call her on it just yet and in front of everyone, Isabel had been through enough right now.  
  
"Do you know anything about the facility they kept you at?" Chris asked  
  
"Not really I was unconscious when I arrived there and I kind of fell asleep on my way here so I don't even know where I am." Isabel replied.  
  
"Right now I think it's best if you don't know." Chris stated.  
  
"Why?" Isabel asked a little shocked.  
  
"Because I don't quite trust you, you did come here with Wesker after all." He continued.  
  
"You don't believe me then?"  
  
"I believe that everything happened as you said, but this is for our protection."  
  
"Fine." Was all she said.  
  
She wasn't sure if she would be able to stay with people who didn't trust her, but as she thought this another voice asked  
  
"Would you trust a person who walked in with someone who had betrayed you?"  
  
She knew the answer was no that she would have to earn their trust.  
  
"In the meantime, make a list of things you'll need and we will pick them up for you." Chris told her.  
  
"Okay, but I don't..." she trailed off  
  
"But what?" Jill asked  
  
"Well I don't exactly have any money on me." She finished looking at the table.  
  
"Since you were left here you are our responsibility." Chris stated.  
  
"I can't do that, it isn't right." Isabel argued looking up to meet his gaze.  
  
"You don't have any choice. You can't work if they are looking for you, and they will be." Jill broke in. "Besides being pregnant how many people would hire you."  
  
"But..." Isabel started.  
  
"No buts." Chris cut her off.  
  
"Now is there anything you need right this instant." He finished.  
  
"I am kind of hungry." She said lowering her eyes to the table again.  
  
She didn't like having to rely on other people, now she had no choice but to do just that. How life could really screw with you.  
  
Everyone at the table for the most part had been quiet through the interrogation, but now that things had been settled they all rose with the exception of Isabel and Rebecca. Chris and Jill went towards the living room followed by Leon and Claire.  
  
"I'll make you one of my famous omelets." Carlos said heading for the fridge.  
  
"The only thing they are famous for is the heartburn you get after eating them." Rebecca said with a mischievous smile.  
  
"Hey, I heard that." Came Carlos' reply from behind the refrigerator door.  
  
"Just for that you don't get any Miss Chambers."  
  
"That's okay I like my stomach too much to subject it to another round of your eggs." She shot back laughing.  
  
"Fine then." He said as he went to work preparing Isabel's meal.  
  
"I have to get ready for work." Rebecca stated as she stood up from the table and left the room.  
  
Being left alone with Carlos, a man she didn't really know made Isabel uncomfortable, at the moment though he had his back to her concentrating on his masterpiece.  
  
"She's something isn't she?" He asked his back still towards her.  
  
"Who?" Isabel said caught off guard.  
  
"Rebecca, of course I thought she'd had it when she told Chris she let Wesker go." He finished  
  
"Chris was very upset with her, wasn't he?" She asked already knowing the answer.  
  
"Yeah but he'll get over it, she's like a second sister to him. He really hates Wesker, can't say I blame him. If I had been betrayed by my captain, a man I trusted I'd be pissed too." Carlos continued, placing a plate-full of eggs in front of her.  
  
"Maybe I shouldn't stay here then, if everyone feels that way I should go." She said picking at her eggs. "I mean, I came here with a man no one trusts. None of you could trust me either."  
  
Carlos looked at her with a sympathetic smile on his face, and sat down next to her.  
  
"Listen, I let peoples' actions speak for themselves, I won't judge you on what I've heard about Wesker. What I can tell you is that he's a smart man bringing you here."  
  
With that he gave her a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. Such a simple act relaxed and calmed her. It was good to know that at least someone was giving her a chance. She took a bite out of her eggs finally feeling well enough to eat.  
  
"Mmm these are great!" She exclaimed.  
  
"Couldn't prove it by the reaction I get when I say I'm making them. I think they just can't handle a little spice." He replied with a grin.  
  
After a moment all traces of humor left his face, and he became very serious as he spoke.  
  
"You'll be okay here. We won't let any thing happen to you."  
  
At this Isabel began to cry. She had cried more in the past three days than the last three years, but she couldn't stop herself. His kindness proved to be too much for her.  
  
"Thank you." Isabel said between sobs.  
  
"For what?" Carlos asked putting an arm around her.  
  
Isabel was about to answer when Rebecca walked through the door.  
  
"Carlos Oliviera, what have you done? She shouldn't be upset like this in her condition." Rebecca stated her voice full of anger.  
  
"He didn't do anything." Isabel came to his defense, "He was being  
kind and I couldn't help but cry."  
  
Rebecca walked over to Isabel on the opposite side of Carlos and she too put an arm around her shoulder. That's the way they stayed, With Carlos on one side and Rebecca on the other both comforting her until she had no more tears to cry. None of them noticed the witness at the door, but Chris Redfield had watched the whole thing never making a sound. 


	5. chapter 5

Time does fly, Isabel thought as she finished drying the last dish. It had been three months since Albert had dropped her on the group's doorstep. In three months so much had changed, most of all her figure. As she looked down at her ever-growing stomach Isabel still had a hard time believing that her child grew there. A couple of days ago she could have sworn she felt a movement. It had helped everything seem more real.  
  
Other things had changed also Isabel had started out with only two friends, Carlos and Rebecca but after three months the only person who still didn't really talk to her was Claire. Jill had been kind from the beginning, but now they were becoming good friends. Chris had changed a little more gradually, he still wasn't happy about the whole Albert issue but he was friendly, and even kidded with her. He almost treated her like Rebecca or Claire, Almost. Leon had been pleasant with her, but it was hard for him. Isabel knew the more they talked the more distant Claire became with him. She couldn't allow that to happen it wasn't fair. Claire, now Claire was another issue in the months since Isabel had arrived she hadn't spoken more than a few words to her. Claire hadn't been down right mean, but she had been cold to her.  
  
"What am I going to do about her?" She spoke to her child, a habit she had picked up lately.  
  
"There is nothing you can do." A male voice said from behind her.  
  
Isabel turned to see Leon standing there in jeans and a white t-shirt.  
  
"Claire is Claire, once she gets something in her head there is no stopping it." He finished with a shrug.  
  
"I'm not worried about me." Isabel stated.  
  
"It isn't fair to you I see how she treats you when you talk to me."  
  
"She isn't who she used to be." He explained. "What happened on Rockfort Island and the Antarctic changed her. Claire feels she could have done something to save Steve. She cared about him, and she blames the Ashfords and Wesker for his loss, but she most of all blames herself."  
  
Leon paused as if he thought he'd said too much, but after a moment he continued.  
  
"The Claire I knew is buried in there somewhere, and we are all just waiting for her to dig her way out."  
  
"Do you think your love is strong enough to help her?" Isabel had a way of getting to the heart of things.  
  
Isabel knew she was right when she saw the look on Leon's face.  
  
"How did you know?" He asked mildly stunned that she had seen the truth.  
  
"The way you look at her, the way you interact with her when you think no one is looking."  
  
"I didn't think I was that obvious." Leon stated blushing.  
  
"You aren't I've just had time to see how everyone interacts with each other." Isabel said with a smile.  
  
"I know it isn't right the way she treats you either, but you came in here with the wrong escort."  
  
"I know, but she'll have to get over it at some point."  
  
"I'm sure she will it'll just take time."  
  
Leon hadn't known what to make of Isabel when she arrived on their doorstep. Everyone had been stunned that Wesker would help anyone. From the stories Leon had been told about the man it seemed it would be unlikely he would do anything that didn't gain him something. Why Wesker did it still remained a mystery to everyone, but for the most part they had all accepted her.  
  
Isabel had been shy and quiet around everyone except Carlos and Rebecca the first month. It was almost as if she expected someone to throw her out if she said the wrong thing. The house had been full of tension for awhile, until one day Chris and Jill had an argument. It wasn't anything serious, Jill and Chris had argued before, and everyone was used to it. They usually cooled off in a couple of hours, but it had really upset Isabel. Leon had been in the kitchen with Chris when Isabel had come in to talk to him. She told Chris that she wouldn't allow herself to cause disharmony between two people who were clearly in love and that she wished to leave. Chris was so shocked he didn't know what to say. Everyone had thought Isabel distant, because she was wrapped up in her own problems, and no one blamed her for it, with all that had happened. Leon realized that day that, she cared more about other people's problems than her own. In the end Chris wouldn't allow her to leave, and he promised that he would apologize to Jill for being an "ass" as he put it. He also asked Isabel to forgive him. Leon was able to tell that was the last thing she expected. Isabel told Chris there was nothing to forgive, that she owed them a great deal and didn't know how she would ever repay them. Since that day Leon had watched Isabel become an integral part of their little family.  
  
"Is everyone going to be here for dinner?" Isabel felt it was time to change the subject. She wasn't sure what to do about Claire and she didn't want to upset Leon further.  
  
"I think so." Leon said glad to talk about something else also.  
  
"Good I'll make pot roast."  
  
Isabel had taken over the house duties, since she wasn't able to work. Everyone had provided for and taken care of her and she found a way of paying them back, it wasn't much but it was the best Isabel could do. She cooked, cleaned and did the laundry, it was an unspoken agreement but it worked well. The only problem was on any given day she was bombarded with "Isabel have you seen my lucky t-shirt?" or "where did you put my sneakers?" Mainly from Chris and Carlos, but Leon even though he was much more organized sometimes couldn't find something and of course he too came to her. Rebecca and Jill on the other hand became accustomed to her system fairly quickly and had no problem finding things. As for Claire, she probably wouldn't have asked where the bandages were if she were bleeding to death.  
  
At that moment Chris walked into the kitchen wearing jeans and his favorite blue t-shirt.  
  
"Hey Izzy have you seen my baseball cap?"  
  
Isabel just ignored him, as she chopped the carrots for the roast. He knew she disliked to be called that, yet seemed to find it necessary to do so.  
  
"Okay, Isabel have you seen my cap?" He repeated like a child that had been scolded.  
  
"Did you look next to the front door on the coat rack?" She answered with a question.  
  
"Man I feel sorry for Jill if she's going to have to take care of you like that." Leon stated as he walked out the side door into the yard.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Chris asked.  
  
Still working on the dinner preparations Isabel answered.  
  
"It means Christopher Redfield that you're a grown man, and should know where your things are."  
  
"Hey I knew where it was until you moved it." He said defensively.  
  
"I cleaned the living room and picked it up off the TV." Isabel corrected.  
  
"Okay I give." He said throwing his hands in the air admitting defeat.  
  
"Are you ready for some target practice before dinner?" He added.  
  
Chris had wanted to teach Isabel how to use a gun for emergencies. She was very sure that she didn't want to be in any emergency that required a gun, but he had been adamant about it. Every couple of days he took Isabel out back to a field they had set up for practice. She didn't like guns, but she had become very adept with hers, at first Isabel wore it wherever she went. As her stomach had grown that had become impossible, so now she kept it within arms reach most of the time. At this very moment it was lying under a dishtowel on the counter next to the cutting board.  
  
"In a few minutes, just let me get the roast into the pressure cooker." She said uncovering the gun.  
  
For some reason the gun made Isabel think of Albert. He was always on her mind, usually just near the surface. It didn't take much to remind Isabel of him, a smell a word spoken the right way almost anything. She always worried the same thing if Albert was okay, how he was doing? The truth was Isabel missed him. She missed his voice, the way Albert looked at her when they were alone, and the gentle way he had held her when she cried. Late at night while lying awake Isabel wondered if it would ever be safe enough for him to return. Lately some disturbing thoughts had pushed their way in. What if Albert was glad to be rid of her, of them? What if he, like her father deemed them a mistake, one he didn't want to be around? Maybe he figured he had paid his due by letting her live and he would never be back, it had been three months after all. Isabel always pushed these thought aside, however it was becoming harder to do so with each passing day.  
  
Isabel had started to daydream also, about the baby and what he or she would look like. What it would be like to see Albert Wesker with his child, how he would interact with him or her. Would he be distant or loving? What would they be like as a family? Isabel was starting to think these were questions she would never know the answer to. As she was thinking these thoughts Isabel noticed that Chris had retrieved his cap from the living room and was waiting patiently by the door.  
  
"Do you think he's okay?" She asked with some trepidation.  
  
Isabel made a conscious effort not to bring Albert up in front of them, but she needed to ask. She saw the expression on Chris' face darken and it was a few minutes before he answered.  
  
"I don't know. What Wesker deserves to have happen to him and what does are two different things. The world would be a better place without him in it."  
  
"I'm sorry." Isabel said as she lowered her head and fought back the tears threatening to fall.  
  
"No, I'm sorry I know he helped get you out." Chris fumbled for the words as he walked toward her. "But he's done some pretty bad things."  
  
"I-I Know." Isabel was as much at a loss for words as Chris was.  
  
"You really care if he's alright, don't you?" Chris was now a few inches from her.  
  
"Yes, he's the baby's father." Isabel let the words slip out.  
  
She didn't know what to expect from Chris, she thought he might be angry or repulsed by this information.  
  
"I'm not sure exactly what's between us. I'm not sure what I feel towards him and I definitely don't know what he feels, sometimes I think the only emotion he knows is anger." She continued after a moment.  
  
"Tell me the truth did he force himself on you?" Chris asked, bracing himself for the answer.  
  
"No he didn't." Isabel didn't know how else to explain it. She did notice that Chris relaxed at her answer.  
  
"I don't know why he let me go or why he helped me at all, would a child really matter to him?"  
  
Chris wanted to be angry with Isabel for not telling them this bit of information, but he couldn't, the hopelessly sad expression she wore and the way her shoulders were slumped made all the anger he should have felt disappear. Isabel was young and for her to go through what she had was criminal, and he realized that for him to put her through anymore for something so trivial as who the baby's father was would make him as bad as the people who had put her in this situation. He would be as bad as HCF.  
  
"Listen I'm not as good at this stuff as Jill, and I kind of wish she were here right now, but here goes. You must have seen something in him that the rest of us don't. I will never trust or like him again, but we can't choose who we love."  
  
Isabel looked up at this and saw that Chris had a kind expression on his face.  
  
"I don't know if I love him, that's the thing when we slept together it wasn't love, and that upsets me. You must think I'm a horrible person."  
  
"Not really, I do however think you at least care for him. And to answer your other question, you and the baby must matter to him or you wouldn't be here, you'd be some experiment by now."  
  
"Yeah I guess your right." Isabel said mustering up a smile.  
  
"I was wondering if you could not tell anyone else for right now, I don't think I could face them if they took it badly. I think Rebecca has guessed about Albert, but she hasn't said anything." She finished lowering her eyes again.  
  
"I don't think they will, but it's your call I won't say anything until your ready."  
  
Isabel couldn't help herself, she impulsively gave Chris a hug. After a moments hesitation he tentatively returned it. She hadn't expected him to understand, but he had and now she felt closer to him.  
  
"Well what do we have here?" Came a familiar voice from the side door.  
  
At the sound of the voice they separated. Isabel's face lit up as she saw the owner. She almost didn't believe her eyes.  
  
"Albert?" Was all she could say.  
  
For so long she had thought of this moment, now she almost didn't believe it was happening. All Isabel could do was stare at him. Albert's hair was just the same as when he had left combed straight back slightly spiked, he wore the same glasses, but he was no longer in uniform instead he wore a black button down long sleeve shirt and black jeans with black hiking boots.  
  
"I'll be out back when you're ready for practice." Chris' voice broke the spell Isabel was under. At that he walked towards the door Wesker was standing in and as Chris pushed past him in a low voice he spoke.  
  
"You should have been here."  
  
With that he was out the door.  
  
Left alone in the kitchen, neither Isabel or Wesker spoke. After a few moments it was Wesker that broke the silence.  
  
"I guess they know then."  
  
"No, Chris just found out." Isabel said unsure if he would be angry or not.  
  
"Are you really back?" She asked still in disbelief.  
  
"Yes." He said a smile creeping on to his face.  
  
How little she knew, Wesker had thought about her everyday wanting to be with her. He knew she had been safer while he was gone.  
  
"So what is this practice?" Wesker said taking off his sunglasses.  
  
Isabel instinctively looked at her gun lying on the kitchen counter. Wesker followed her gaze with his until it too came to the firearm.  
  
"Good, Redfield may not be as stupid as I give him credit for." Wesker said taking his eyes off the gun and once again staring at Isabel. "Of course he was the best marksman in the entire S.T.A.R.S. he'd be a good teacher."  
  
"He's pretty patient with me, and that's saying a lot. I hate that thing." Isabel stated as she turned to put the roast on the stove.  
  
Isabel hadn't seemed much different from when Wesker had left. Her golden brown hair was a bit longer just past her shoulders her green eyes just as clear and beautiful. In profile though Wesker was able to see just how much their child had grown. Yes he had known Isabel was pregnant, but to actually see the evidence of it was startling to him. Wesker could no longer think about the baby in the abstract. His child was real and growing inside Isabel.  
  
"Albert did you hear me?" Isabel asked with a slightly annoyed look on her face.  
  
At that he snapped out of his thoughts, realizing she had spoken and he had missed it.  
  
"Are you staying this time?" She asked again.  
  
"No." He stated dully.  
  
The annoyed look she wore a few moments ago rapidly became one of anger.  
  
"Damn you, why did you even come back?" Isabel's voice became louder with every word.  
  
"Listen to me Isabel, it still isn't safe." Wesker said as he started to walk towards her.  
  
Isabel's raised voice had attracted the attention of Carlos and Jill as they walked in the front door with the groceries. They headed to the kitchen immediately, setting the bags on the table Carlos stepped directly into Wesker's path.  
  
"I don't know what you're doing here, but if you think your taking Isabel back to that place your wrong." Carlos was already reaching for the gun concealed under his shirt.  
  
"It isn't like that." Isabel said stilling his movement with her hand on his arm.  
  
Carlos wasn't backing down and Isabel knew there was going to be trouble if she didn't get him out of the way fast. She shot a pleading look at Jill who had remained calm, but ready for action if the need occurred.  
  
"Carlos he isn't taking her anywhere, not with all of us here." Jill spoke up.  
  
At this Carlos relaxed a bit and stepped out of the way.  
  
"Fine if you need anything Isabel, we'll be in the living room," he stated never taking his eyes off Wesker.  
  
Grudgingly Carlos followed Jill into the living room, but Wesker heard him say.  
  
"No wonder he wears those sunglasses all the time, his eyes are freakish."  
  
After a few minutes the news came on. Wesker looked at Isabel.  
  
"It's nice to see they've taken to you." He said with a humorless smile on his lips.  
  
"They are very good to me given the circumstances." She replied  
  
To be quite honest the whole incident had embarrassed her. Carlos had just been keeping his promise, but she wasn't used to having to be protected.  
  
"Did you mean it that I shouldn't have come back?" He asked looking uncharacteristically hurt.  
  
"No." Isabel answered with an exasperated sigh. "It's just that it's been three months when will it be safe enough?"  
  
"Given what I've found out it may never be safe. Three weeks ago your father resurfaced with the finished virus. He's selling it to the highest bidder and HCF doesn't take kindly to things like that from its employees." He answered.  
  
"What are they going to do?" She asked.  
  
"They're looking for you. They figure they can use you as a bargaining chip."  
  
"So basically it's the virus for me."  
  
"Yes, he's too well hidden to just take him out but with the right bait it's possible."  
  
It took a few moments for Isabel to process this, she knew her father was capable of a lot of things but to ransom a deadly virus to the highest bidder was unspeakable. It made her want to vomit, all of the sudden she felt light headed, dizzy and her knees started to give out under her. Isabel grabbed the counter for support, Wesker by her side in an instant with his arm around her waist for support, a very worried expression on his face. He guided her to the kitchen table where he sat her down on one of the chairs.  
  
"I'm going to get Chambers." When Albert spoke Isabel could hear the worry in his voice.  
  
"No, I'm okay it just turned my stomach." She said trying to assure him of what he clearly didn't believe.  
  
"I'll be okay, I promise." She said with a weak smile.  
  
Kneeling in front of her Wesker reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face.  
  
"If I had known it would affect you like this I wouldn't have told you."  
  
"No, I need to know what I'm up against. How do you know all this?" She asked  
  
"One of my former co-workers caught up with me. Before I dealt with him, we had a discussion. That's why I can't stay. They've tracked me down once they'll do so again."  
  
"How soon are you leaving?" Isabel asked a defeated expression on her face.  
  
"This evening, late." He answered.  
  
"You know their plan won't work." Isabel said after a moment, looking into his eyes.  
  
"What do you mean?" Wesker asked.  
  
"I mean my father won't bargain for me."  
  
"Of course he would, what parent wouldn't?"  
  
"My father. To him I'm a mistake." She retorted looking at where her child grew. "He left when I was twelve. He said he had never wanted a child and that I was a mistake that he couldn't persuade my mother to get rid of. So he left and I haven't heard or seen him since, he doesn't care about me."  
  
At this Isabel stood up grabbed her gun and walked out the side door to the firing range.  
  
As Isabel walked towards Chris she felt tears begin to form in her eyes, she quickly wiped them away. She thought she was beyond caring about what had happened so long ago, but having told Albert about a part of her past had opened an old wound.  
  
"Are you alright?" Chris asked with a worried look on his face.  
  
"I'm fine it's just old memories." Isabel said being as vague as she could. She wasn't ready to explain everything again.  
  
"Are you sure?" He still looked a little worried.  
  
"Yeah, let's get to practicing." She said.  
  
Isabel didn't want to think about anything right now, she knew it would take all her concentration to get through target practice and for that she was grateful.  
  
Wesker stood a hundred yards away from where Isabel and Chris were practicing, but he could see the target she was aiming at as clear as if he were a few feet in front of it. Isabel was in deep concentration all of it on her target. She had left him standing in the kitchen were it had taken several minutes to digest what she had told him. Wesker knew she had never told anyone about her father and now he knew why she hadn't told him about their child. It was a scar she would carry with her always. With Isabel's mother dead and her father gone she really had no family.  
  
Something caught Wesker's eye as his last thought faded. Isabel was laughing at something Redfield had said and her eyes sparkled like jewels when she smiled. Wesker had never really seen her laugh, of course he had never given her anything to laugh at. Wesker watched her intently for awhile, Redfield had just taken his cap off and placed it squarely on her head as they began walking towards the house. Maybe she does have a family. He thought watching Isabel, as she got to the door she suddenly looked in his direction having sensed him watching her. Isabel began to walk towards him, and Wesker met her half way, she still had the smile on her face which seemed to grow as she neared him.  
  
"What is the smile for?" He asked.  
  
"Well while I was practicing the baby moved and I told Chris. We started talking about babies and he made a comment about you changing diapers. He said he just couldn't see you changing them and now I have this mental picture of you trying to change the baby."  
  
After a moment Isabel smile faded.  
  
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have joked about that." She said looking at his expressionless face. "You probably won't be here."  
  
Isabel was such a confusing creature, one minute strong and stubborn the next fragile and scared. When she was being stubborn Wesker had no problem leaving her to take care of herself, he knew she was able. When Isabel was like this so small and fragile something inside Wesker wanted to take care of her, to protect her and not leave her side.  
  
"I'm not leaving you, I promise." He said taking off his sunglasses and looking directly in her eyes. "I will be here."  
  
"I know." Was all she said as she took his hand and led him to the house through the fading light of the late fall evening.  
  
As they walked toward the house Wesker stopped at his jeep to pull out a black duffle bag.  
  
"I'm going to take a shower." He said as they walked into the house.  
  
"What about dinner?" Isabel questioned.  
  
"I'll eat later." He answered walking to her room.  
  
While Albert was showering Isabel began to dish up everyone's plate. She knew the reason he had chosen to shower instead of eat, he wasn't accepted by them. After everyone was seated and Isabel had eaten, she fixed a plate for Albert and took it to her room.  
  
Walking into the room and placing the food on the night stand she heard the shower shut off. A few minutes later Albert walked out of the bathroom clad only in a towel. His hair was a mess and standing on end, it made him look much younger than his thirty eight years. To Isabel he looked charming.  
  
"I brought something to eat." Isabel said blushing slightly.  
  
"Thanks, I'll eat in a few minutes." He said stepping closer to the pile of clothes on the bed. "I've decided to stay for few days."  
  
"I thought it wasn't safe enough." Isabel said surprise showing on her face.  
  
"I think I can risk a day or two."  
  
Isabel just smiled at him. Is this why I chose to stay? So I could see her smile. Sometime while he was in shower he had decided to stay. It wasn't logical Isabel was safe and being well taken care of, but he wanted to be there.  
  
Isabel couldn't believe it, Albert was staying a few days, for some reason that information made her extremely happy. Maybe it was because if he were here she at least knew he was okay. There were so many things she wanted to ask Albert, to know about him. They had never really talked about anything personal. Yes he knew about her father and she knew his mother's name but that was about all.  
  
At that moment the baby decided to kick and it kept kicking. Without thinking about it Isabel grabbed Albert's hand and placed it on her stomach.  
  
"Here, feel she's been kicking all day." She stated.  
  
"She?" He replied lifting an eyebrow.  
  
"Or he." Isabel added.  
  
They stood that way for a while. Wesker was amazed it felt so natural, nothing forced, just to stand there feeling his child move around. Isabel was the one who broke the stillness as she moved closer to him, put her arms around his neck and kissed him. It was a long deep kiss and Wesker had just moved his arms around to her back to pull her even closer when suddenly the bedroom door opened.  
  
"Chris said..." Was all Claire got out as she walked through the door.  
  
Surprised, both Isabel and Wesker stepped back and looked at Claire who wore angry expression.  
  
"I knew you couldn't be trusted." She raged. "You're nothing but a whore. Stay away from me."  
  
Claire raced out the door and up the stairs to her room. She was so upset she didn't realize she hadn't locked the door. Isabel stood there stunned for a few moments.  
  
"I have to speak to her." Isabel said as she left the room closing the door behind her.  
  
As she made her way up the steps she pondered what she should say. Then Isabel realized this wasn't her fault she hadn't done anything wrong. By the time she reached Claire's room she was angry. As Isabel opened the door to the room Claire looked up. She didn't give Claire a chance to speak.  
  
"GROW UP!"  
  
"What?" Claire asked shocked.  
  
"I said grow up, I don't deserve to be talked to like that and I won't stand for it," She said the level of her voice rising with her anger, "You run around here like you're the only one who matters, and you hurt the people who care the most about you. If that's not something a child would do I don't know what is."  
  
"This isn't any of your business. You walk in here with HIM and expect us to accept you." Claire shot back.  
  
"I've made my choices." Isabel started to say but at that moment Albert walked through the door.  
  
It had taken him a few minutes to get dressed and make his way up to Claire's room. Wesker wasn't about to have Isabel upset by this. When he walked in Isabel and Claire stood facing each other. Isabel had her hands on her hips and Claire stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Claire threw him a hateful glance as he walked in the room.  
  
"So I guess he's here to shut me up." Claire spat.  
  
At this Isabel turned to Wesker with a scowl.  
  
"You need to go." She spoke.  
  
"The hell I will, I'm not letting you get upset over her." He stated pointing to Claire.  
  
"Albert Wesker, I said to get the hell out and I meant it. I can handle this and you aren't helping." Isabel retorted walking towards him.  
  
She grabbed his elbow and walked him out the door. When Albert was firmly in the hallway Isabel shut the door on whatever he was about to say and turned back to Claire.  
  
Claire was shocked at what had happened. Wesker wasn't the type of man who would let anyone order him out of a room, but he had just let Isabel do exactly that. He had actually let her push him out the door.  
  
"Yes I've made choices and I have to deal with the consequences." Isabel continued where she had left off.  
  
"So am I supposed to feel sorry for you because you got knocked up by him?" Claire asked motioning towards the door.  
  
"No, that's the difference between us. I don't expect or want anyone to feel sorry for me."  
  
"And you're saying I do."  
  
"Yes, and you had better look long and hard at the choices your making right now, before you loose the people who love you."  
  
"It's too late for that." Claire said her voice breaking.  
  
Isabel was about to say it isn't when she realized she wasn't talking about the people down stairs.  
  
"You mean Steve, Right?" She asked softening, her anger finally spent.  
  
"Yes, he's dead and it's my fault." Claire said trying to fight back tears now.  
  
"If I hadn't been looking for Chris, I wouldn't have been captured. We would have never met and he would have gotten off the Island." She finished.  
  
Isabel walked over to Claire and wrapped her arms around her.  
  
"Don't-Don't touch me." Claire said before she finally broke down and let the tears fall.  
  
As Isabel gently stroked her hair she spoke.  
  
"It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known what was going to happen. I know you lost someone you loved but you have people who love you and are worried about you."  
  
"I-I didn't love him, not like that anyway." Claire replied lifting her head from Isabel's shoulder. "I cared about him, he was a nice guy but I wasn't in love with him."  
  
"And you feel guilty about that?" Isabel prodded.  
  
"Yes, before he died he told me he loved me, but I couldn't return that feeling."  
  
"That's okay too, your brother told me once we can't choose who we love. Chris loves you very much and so does Leon."  
  
"I know." Was all Claire could say.  
  
"I also know that Albert was involved with what happened, but I can't change that. I know you hate him, but you shouldn't judge me on his past." Isabel said.  
  
"Do you love him?" Claire asked.  
  
"I'm not sure, I think I may, when he's here it feels right. Given what has happened to me because of him and his company I should hate him, but my situation is very complex right now." Isabel said releasing Claire, now that her tears had subsided.  
  
Claire looked around the room not sure what to say she felt relief for the first time in a long time. She guessed crying had helped. Claire hadn't cried since the day Steve had died, she hadn't let herself.  
  
"I've totally messed up everything haven't I?" Claire said wiping away the last tear.  
  
"Not really, when people love you they are willing to forgive. They all care about you."  
  
"Isabel I'm sorry."  
  
"It's okay, I understand. Now you just have to forgive yourself. You should go talk to Leon. He's in love with you, you know."  
  
"How could he be? I've been so horrible to him." Claire said looking at the floor.  
  
"He knew you would come back to them, and he thinks your worth waiting for."  
  
Claire smiled at this the first smile she had given in a long time.  
  
"Now if you'll excuse me, I think you have to mend a few fences as do I." Isabel said turning to leave.  
  
"You mean with HIM right?" Claire asked.  
  
"Yes I don't think he's too happy with me right now."  
  
"Hey he let you push him out the door, I don't think anyone else could have done that and lived." Claire said her smile growing wider.  
  
"You must have some kind of control over him." She said shaking her head.  
  
"I don't know about that I think Albert was just surprised." Isabel said opening the door.  
  
"Isabel, thank you."  
  
"You're welcome Claire." Isabel said as she shut the door behind her.  
  
Wesker had contemplated marching back into the room for a moment, but had decided Isabel wouldn't appreciate it very much. So he had made his way back to her room to await the outcome. It had given Wesker time to think about what would have happened if Redfield's sister hadn't interrupted, it had seemed to be heading toward the bed. Would they have stopped? Would he have been able to remain in control of himself? It seemed to be something Wesker was incapable of around Isabel. She had wanted it too he was sure of it. Of course Isabel had started the kiss, but she hadn't fought when he had pulled her closer. In the end Wesker decided it was a good thing they had been stopped. It would only have lead to more confusion for both of them.  
  
Isabel wasn't sure what to expect from Albert when she walked into the room. She was sure he would be angry, that she could handle. Isabel just hoped he hadn't changed his mind again and decided to leave. As she walked into the bedroom she saw Albert standing there with his sunglasses on, never a good sign in her mind.  
  
"I'm sorry." Isabel said looking at where her feet would have been if she could have seen them. "It's just that with you in the room she became more agitated. She wouldn't have listened to anything I said."  
  
"And did she listen to you?" He asked  
  
"Yes, I think things will settle down now."  
  
"Albert are you angry at me for throwing you out?"  
  
"No, just worried. I think you have had enough upset for one day." He said finally taking the sunglasses off.  
  
"I know but it had to be done." She said with a little sigh.  
  
Isabel had to admit she was tired, it had been a long day. She wanted to ask if he would still stay, but she was afraid of the answer. Isabel wanted Albert to hold her again. It had felt right being in his arms like that. She too wondered what would have happened if they hadn't been interrupted. Isabel was also wondering where Albert was going to sleep. She assumed he would stay with her the bed was big enough and she didn't mind. Albert couldn't sleep in his car.  
  
"I think I should get ready for bed I am kind of tired." Isabel said pulling a night gown out of her dresser. "What side of the bed do you want?"  
  
"I'm going to sleep on the couch." Wesker replied.  
  
"You can't everyone's still in the living room. The bed's big enough for the both of us."  
  
"No, I think it's best if I sleep on the couch."  
  
"Okay." Isabel said trying to mask the disappointment in her voice as she went to change in the bathroom.  
  
Sitting in her room Claire was trying to decide how to talk to everyone. In the end she decided Chris would be the easiest person to start with, so she made her way to the kitchen. Chris and Carlos were clearing the table when Claire walked in.  
  
"Chris can I talk to you?" Claire asked from the doorway.  
  
"Sure." He said not looking up from the table.  
  
"I mean alone." She replied.  
  
At this Chris looked up think something serious was wrong.  
  
"Hey Carlos can you give us a minute?" He asked his friend.  
  
"Yeah, I'm out of here." Carlos said heading to the living room to join Rebecca and Jill on the couch.  
  
"I am so sorry for the way I've acted." Claire said tears starting to form again.  
  
"Claire..." He started to speak.  
  
"No let me finish, I've been acting horrible to everyone."  
  
"Claire it's okay." Chris broke in.  
  
"No it isn't, I had a problem and I took it out on everyone." She replied.  
  
"You've been through more than anyone should have." Chris said.  
  
"That isn't an excuse. Everyone in this house had been through the same thing. I just want you to know that I'm sorry and I love you big bro." she finished.  
  
"Do you want to talk about what was bothering you." He asked.  
  
"Not yet, I have some more apologizing to do first, but soon."  
  
"Okay, when ever you're ready." Chris said going back to cleaning the table. He didn't want to push her for more information than she was willing to give.  
  
Feeling much better about everything Claire walked over to her big brother and gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. Now she knew she would have to speak with Leon and the others. Claire wasn't sure what she was going to say to any of them. Knowing that Leon loved her made her feel weird, but in a good way. She just hoped it wasn't too late to fix what she had done.  
  
Chris was happy to hear her call him big bro again. She hadn't done that in nearly a year. They hadn't spoken really in that time, they use to talk about all kinds of things, but since the Antarctic Claire had shut herself off from everyone. It seemed now that she was making her way back.  
  
As Chris was about to leave the kitchen he decided to do the dishes. Usually Isabel did them but she seemed so tire this evening he didn't want to bother her with them. It didn't take long to wash, dry and put them away and when he was finished he decided he would turn in. It had been a long weird day. When Chris walked into the living room he noticed Claire wasn't to be found.  
  
"Hey isn't Claire with you guys." He asked  
  
"No she went upstairs." Rebecca replied still watching the movie.  
  
"Did she say anything to you?" He asked perplexed.  
  
"Not really she said something about talking to us tomorrow." Rebecca answered again this time looking at him.  
  
"Why is there something wrong?" Jill asked a concern showing on her face.  
  
"No just wondering." He replied.  
  
"Are you going to watch the movie with us?" Rebecca asked turning back to the TV.  
  
"No, I'm tired I'm just going to hit the sack." He replied.  
  
"That sounds like a good idea, I'll go with you." Jill said getting up from the couch.  
  
"No stay and watch your movie."  
  
"I don't want to wake you up when I come in, and besides I'm tired too. I won't make it through the whole thing."  
  
"Okay." Chris said giving up as they made their way up to the bedroom.  
  
"You know, I'm tired." Rebecca said yawning. "I'm going to bed too."  
  
With Rebecca, Chris and Jill gone Carlos decided he too would head upstairs. Moments after he shut the door to the room he and Leon shared Wesker made his way to the couch, pillow and blanket in hand. While Isabel had changed in the bathroom so had he, into a black T-shirt and sweat pants. As he arranged himself on the couch Wesker wondered if he would be able to sleep it wasn't something that came easily anymore, he didn't need as much as a normal person.  
  
When Isabel awoke it was still dark. Looking at the clock on the night stand, she realized it was only Three A.M. Ever since she had hit the fourth month mark in her pregnancy she hadn't been able to sleep the night through. She had to make several trips to the bathroom, which is exactly what she had to do now. Grumbling she made her way there.  
  
As she turned off the bathroom light Isabel started to make her way back to bed, but for some reason halfway there she found herself detouring to the living room. She wasn't sure why, but Isabel wanted to check on Albert. As she walked into the living room she saw his sleeping form stretched out on the couch one hand flung over his head and he had kicked off his blanket. It was chilly so Isabel decided to re-cover him. As she was pulling the blanket up to his chest lightning fast Albert hand grabbed her wrist. A moment later his eyes opened.  
  
"God you're beautiful." He said staring at her.  
  
Isabel didn't know what to say nor do she just returned his stare. After another moment she placed her free hand on his. Albert's grip loosened and her arm fell free. With that she gently tugged at his hand and he lifted himself off the couch, never saying a word Albert followed Isabel back to her bedroom. As she got back into bed, Albert pulled her close, that's how they fell back to sleep, her in his arms. 


	6. chapter 6

As the early morning sun shown through the window Wesker finally opened his eyes. Looking to where Isabel had slept he saw his clothes had been neatly folded and set out for him. Walking into the bathroom to begin his morning routine, Wesker noticed fresh towels folded next to the sink. There was also a new toothbrush and razor set on top of them, Isabel had thought of everything. Starting to shave Wesker wondered why she hadn't roused him when she woke.  
  
When Isabel walked into her room with the pile of clothes she had just finished folding she heard the bathroom sink running. So he's finally up the sleepy head. The truth was she hadn't the heart to wake him. Albert had looked peaceful, more so than she had ever seen him. So she had decided to get a head start on chores.  
  
Listening to the sound of the water running in the bathroom and putting the laundry away Isabel could almost believe they were a normal family. Because of what her father had done Isabel always promised herself that was what she would have. Now she knew it wasn't a possibility and it hurt just a little. A small knock from the door pulled her back to reality.  
  
"Come in." She called looking up.  
  
As the door opened she saw it was Claire and she looked nervous.  
  
"I was wondering if you would..." Claire broke off not knowing how to say what was on her mind.  
  
"If I would what?" Isabel asked.  
  
"Well the thing is I was going to talk to everyone today and I was wondering if you would be there." She finished looking at the ground.  
  
Isabel knew it had taken a lot for the young girl to ask that of her. She knew her answer immediately.  
  
"Of course I will. I'll be right by your side the whole time." Isabel answered giving Claire a warm smile.  
  
Claire seemed to relax and after a moment smiled back.  
  
"When were you going to speak to them?" Isabel asked putting the rest of the laundry away.  
  
"I was thinking at breakfast." Claire answered, playing with the button on her blue shirt.  
  
"Okay I'll be out in a few minutes."  
  
Giving Isabel another smile Claire left her to finish her task. She was happy Isabel had agreed to be there although she didn't have any reason too. How could anyone be that forgiving? Claire thought as she walked to the living room. Isabel was an enigma, probably to everyone in the house. Given what had happened to her, she should be resentful and withdrawn but she wasn't. Claire had never known anyone like Isabel, she gave freely of herself and she didn't hold a grudge, although she did have a temper when pushed. Claire hadn't expected Isabel to follow her upstairs. She hadn't expected her to understand either but she had. Isabel hadn't judged Claire she simply stated the facts as she saw them. People like her were definitely rare and Claire was beginning to realize she was glad she had met her.  
  
"Hey sis, are you feeling better this morning." Chris said coming down the stairs. He was dressed in his usual blue jeans and an old S.T.A.R.S. t- shirt that had seen better days.  
  
"Ug don't you have anything other than t-shirts and jeans in your wardrobe?" She asked instead of answering his question.  
  
"Look who's talking Miss over-sized shirt and jeans." He shot back, glad to see her joking again.  
  
"Really I don't see how Jill can look at you in the morning." She replied.  
  
"I'm usually not wearing anything when Jill sees me in the morning." He said with a big grin.  
  
"Okay that was just TMI." Claire said grimacing.  
  
"What the hell is TMI?" He asked still smiling.  
  
"Too much information." Isabel said coming down the hall.  
  
"But thank you for that lovely mental image." She continued.  
  
None of them could help but laugh at that.  
  
"What's so funny?" Jill asked from the stairs. She was dressed in black jeans and a white t-shirt, but didn't look awake.  
  
"You really don't want to know." Isabel said still giggling.  
  
"Okay it's too early to try to figure you guys out." Jill said with a  
frown. "I need coffee."  
  
"That does sound good." Chris chimed in.  
  
Ten minutes after the four of them filed into the kitchen Carlos sauntered in.  
  
"You ladies look lovely today." He said giving each of the girls a grin.  
  
Carlos was a natural flirt and they all took it with a grain of salt.  
  
"And you, my friend, look like shit." He said looking at Chris.  
  
"You mean I don't look lovely too." Chris said putting his hands to his face and mock crying.  
  
"Okay now you're just weirding me out man." Carlos said eyeing him.  
  
"Guys breakfast is almost ready would someone go and get Becca and Leon up." Isabel cut through their banter.  
  
"Nah leave Leon sleep, he was up all night on the computer again." Carlos said.  
  
"Well that leaves Becca." Jill said starting to rise from her chair.  
  
"I'll wake her." Carlos said rubbing his hands together with a mischievous glint in his brown eyes.  
  
"Okay." Jill said plopping back into her seat.  
  
Carlos ran up the stairs contemplating all the ways to wake Rebecca, each thought more devious than the last. He quietly opened the door and tip toed into the darkened room, silently giggling to himself. Man this is going to be good. When Carlos was close enough to the bed to grab it, he did and began shaking it.  
  
"Earthquake!" He shouted.  
  
"Ack what?" Rebecca yelled as she sprung to a sitting position.  
  
"Damn it Carlos I was having a really good dream." She said frowning at his smiling face.  
  
"Sweetheart wouldn't you rather have the real thing?" He said crawling into bed next to her.  
  
Lying back down and pulling the covers over her head she replied.  
  
"In YOUR dreams."  
  
"You have to get up breakfast is ready." Carlos stated, pulling at the blanket.  
  
"I'll eat later, let me sleep." Came her grumpy reply.  
  
"Okay you forced me to do this."  
  
With that Carlos gave the blankets a hard tug and before Rebecca could react, had her by the arm and was heaving her over his shoulder. All Rebecca could see was his back as she dangled there. Carlos carried her down to the kitchen this way, with her kicking and cursing him the whole time. When Carlos walked in everyone stopped what they were doing and stared.  
  
"She was being difficult so I had to take drastic measures." He explained with a grin as he set her barefoot on the cold kitchen floor.  
  
"Carlos you are so dead." Rebecca said glaring at him.  
  
"Well I couldn't just let you defile me in your dreams." He said his grin growing wider.  
  
"I said I was having a pleasant dream. That doesn't mean you were in it." She said putting her hands on her hips.  
  
Carlos just raised and eyebrow as if to say no woman's dream could be pleasant without him in it.  
  
"Enough children, breakfast is ready so sit." Isabel's voice rang with authority.  
  
At this Carlos and Rebecca sat as far away from each as they could and began to eat.  
  
As usual Isabel was the first to finish eating and when she finished she placed her plate in the sink and dished one up for Albert. As the rest of the group still ate she made her way back to her room. Albert sat on her bed looking quite bored when she walked in.  
  
"I've brought you breakfast." Isabel said placing the plate on the dresser.  
  
"You are determined to feed me, aren't you?" He asked with a smile.  
  
"Of course, you're my responsibility." She answered earnestly.  
  
The thought of that made Wesker's smile widen. Isabel felt responsible for him it was completely absurd. It was also completely like her.  
  
"You find that amusing." She said becoming annoyed.  
  
"Yes I find that amusing." He said standing up and walking towards her.  
  
"I find it very amusing." He continued lifting his hand to stroke the side of her face, as she had once done to him.  
  
"I'm glad I make you happy." She stated, her voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
"You do." Wesker replied all traces of humor gone.  
  
Before Isabel could reply he continued.  
  
"I'm leaving..."  
  
"But you said you were going to stay a few days." She cut in.  
  
"I was going to say I'm leaving to take care of a few things, but I'll return later this evening."  
  
"Oh, okay. Eat first." She said going to leave.  
  
"Yes ma'am." He said giving her a salute which Isabel missed as she walked out the door.  
  
Everyone was just finishing their food as Isabel walked back into the kitchen. Claire looked like she wanted to say what she needed to, but was afraid. Knowing it was hard for her Isabel walked over to where Claire sat and placed a hand on her shoulder. It seemed to give the girl the courage she needed.  
  
"Everyone I have something I need to say." Claire started.  
  
Everyone looked up at the sound of her voice. Having their attention, she now had no idea how to continue. Isabel never left her side and that helped Claire a great deal with her speech.  
  
"I need to tell every one of you how truly sorry I am." She continued.  
  
"For what?" Carlos asked a perplexed look on his face.  
  
"For the way I've acted, for the way I've treated you." She answered.  
  
"I had some things I needed to work out. Instead of allowing the people who care about me to help I turned away from you. I was a horrible person to the people who cared most about me." She finished.  
  
The group sat in silence, trying to figure out what had brought about this change and what to say next.  
  
"It's okay Claire, but you need to trust us to be there for you." Jill said standing.  
  
"Really Claire we ARE family." Rebecca chimed in.  
  
"Besides what else are we good for." Carlos finished for them.  
  
Each stood and walked over to Claire giving her a hug welcoming her back. When it was Carlos' turn Chris spoke up.  
  
"Oliviera get away from my sister."  
  
Carlos just flipped him the bird and hugged her anyway, giving her a big kiss on the cheek.  
  
"I still need to speak to Leon when he wakes up. So if you could not say anything, I want it to come from me." Claire said after they had finished with their breakfast.  
  
Looking around the table Jill was the one who spoke up.  
  
"Fine with us, just don't wait too long."  
  
"I won't." Claire replied with a smile.  
  
"Well now that everything is settled, some of us still need to get ready for work." Rebecca said glaring at Carlos. She hadn't forgotten she owed him one.  
  
"Who is working today?" Isabel asked.  
  
"Carlos and I work at the repair shop." Chris said putting his dish in the sink.  
  
"I'm due at the hospital at noon." Rebecca said following suite.  
  
"I'm temping at the vet's today." Jill said before getting up and going to the living room.  
  
"I guess that just leaves you, me, HIM, and sleepy head upstairs." Claire said helping clear the rest of the table.  
  
"Actually it' going to be you, me and Mr. sleepy head, Albert went to take care of some things." Isabel answered filling the sink with water and dish soap.  
  
They worked in silence for a few moments before Claire spoke.  
  
"Okay then, do you need any help with anything?"  
  
"There are a few things that if I tried to do everyone would kill me." Isabel replied.  
  
"I really want to clean the floor in the living room, but I can't move the couch by myself." She continued, patting her stomach.  
  
"Yeah, no moving heavy objects for awhile." Claire replied with a grin.  
  
Working together the two girls finished the chores Isabel hadn't been able to do on her own.  
  
For Claire time passed swiftly, it always does when you're facing something you aren't looking forward too. Before she realized it, it was seven p.m. and almost everyone was home, the only two who still hadn't returned were Rebecca and Wesker. Claire still wasn't sure what to say to Leon, she hadn't seen him all day and it was nerve wracking to think she now had to face him. By eight o'clock the only person who still hadn't returned was Wesker and Claire new it was time. She needed to talk to Leon before everyone went to bed.  
  
On the other hand timed seemed to crawl for Isabel, as it always does when you are looking forward to something. She had tried to keep busy and Claire had helped her get things done, but it hadn't been enough to make the time go by faster. Isabel still had things she wanted to know about Albert, things she wanted to tell him, his statement had taken her by surprise today. She wondered if he realized what he had said or if Albert even meant it the way she had taken it. He could have simply meant he found her funny. Isabel wanted him to get back so they could talk, Albert seemed to be taking forever.  
  
Before she knew it Claire was at the door to Leon's room. She gave a swift knock and was rewarded with an  
  
"Enter."  
  
As she opened the door Claire took a quick glance around, she had never been in his room before. There were two full-size beds with a simple night stand between them, on the night stand was a white lamp and on the wall that held the door were two dressers made of some dark wood that matched the nightstand. In front of the window was a desk with a computer on it. The screen gave off the only light in the room and that's were Leon sat, in front of the computer. Suddenly an idea came to her.  
  
"How could you?" She started.  
  
Surprised Leon looked up.  
  
"How could I what? Leon asked wide eyed.  
  
"How could you speak with Isabel about me? It wasn't any of her business." Claire continued, proud of herself for keeping a straight face.  
  
"I'm sorry Claire, I needed to talk to someone and you weren't there." He replied looking down.  
  
Claire's heart broke at the sadness that seemed to surround Leon. She for the first time realized how deep his love for her was, and what she had put him through by pushing him away, she needed to fix this.  
  
"I know and for that I'm sorry." Claire stated, tears filling her eyes.  
  
"What?" He asked looking up.  
  
"I am so sorry for everything I've put you through." She said walking to Leon and kneeled in front of him.  
  
"I want to understand what happened to you." Leon said holding her eyes with his.  
  
"I should have told you and I want to tell you now."  
  
"Then tell me, we have all night."  
  
Claire didn't know where exactly to start. Nothing really mattered but the end of the story. That's what had caused her so much pain, so she decided to start there.  
  
"How much do you know?" She asked after a moment.  
  
"I know it was pretty much like Raccoon, and that you met another survivor. I also know he died before Chris could get to you." Leon answered.  
  
"You're right it was like Raccoon and I did find another survivor."  
  
"His name was Steve Burnside. He helped me get off the island, and if it weren't for me he may still be alive." Claire stated, breaking eye contact and looking at the floor  
  
"Claire you don't know that for sure." Leon broke in.  
  
"He would have had a better chance if he didn't meet me." She replied, still not looking at him.  
  
"You loved him." It wasn't a question.  
  
"Before he died his last words were I love you." Claire kept going. "I didn't return his feelings, I couldn't. All I could do was think about you and how I might never see you again. As he was telling me he loved me all I was thinking of how much I love you."  
  
"Why didn't you tell me any of this?" Leon asked taking her hands in his.  
  
Leon could feel her sorrow as if it was his own. He knew she still blamed herself and always would.  
  
"I felt everything was my fault, I felt like a horrible person and how could you see me any other way." She Answered.  
  
"I could never see you that way." Leon said leaning down to kiss her.  
  
Leon was happy Claire had finally talked to him. Now he could help her heal, he loved her so much it hurt him to see the state Claire was in when Chris brought her back. Leon wanted to tell her now that he loved her, but some how he thought Claire already knew. Tell her anyway idiot. A voice in his head said.  
  
"Claire I love you so much, I would have taken all of your pain if I could have." He said after the kiss.  
  
"I know you would, and that's why I want to stay in here tonight."  
  
"Claire that may not be a good idea." Leon replied looking apprehensive.  
  
"I trust you Leon, you'll be a gentleman." She said smiling at him.  
Yeah but I'm not sure I trust myself. Leon already knew he would let her stay.  
  
"You'll have to sleep on Carlos' bed." He said handing her an old R.P.D. t-shirt. "You can wear this and change in the bathroom."  
  
Claire answered him with a smile and kiss, as she went to change for bed.  
  
Carlos had heard Leon and Claire talking through the door and figured they'd be up all night. At first he had planned to just sleep on the couch, but then it hit him that Claire's bed would be empty. Not being able to pass up the chance to devil Rebecca some more Carlos headed for the girl's room. Not bothering to knock he opened the door and walked in, Rebecca was just walking out of the bathroom having changed into her night clothes.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked still angry about this morning.  
  
"Claire and Leon are talking so I'm out of a place to sleep." Carlos answered shrugging.  
  
"Well there is a couch in the living room." She stated.  
  
"I'll be damned if I'm sleeping on the couch when there's a perfectly good bed right there." He said pointing at Claire's bed.  
  
"Are you afraid of the temptation I'll present?" He asked lifting an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh brother." She said rolling her eyes.  
  
"Fine get into bed." She finished after a moment.  
  
"Who's yours' or Claire's?" Carlos said flashing a smile.  
  
Rebecca liked Carlos, he was a nice guy and to be honest she had a small crush on him, he was hot, but things were getting out of hand. His jokes and Innuendos were becoming too much to handle. Rebecca knew she wasn't his type and him kidding like this only served to remind her of that daily. It had to stop. Maybe I'll beat him at his own game. She thought walking over to where he stood by the dresser. Rebecca draped her arms around his neck and going up on tiptoe she used her most sultry voice.  
  
"Mine of course."  
At this Carlos became nervous, what if Rebecca was serious. She was a cute kid but aside from kidding he really didn't see her that way. Trying to disengage her arms Carlos started to speak, but Rebecca never let him. Grabbing the glass of water that sat on the dresser she unceremoniously dumped the contents on his head.  
  
"You looked a little hot, so I thought I'd cool you off." She said turning and getting into bed.  
  
Carlos not saying a word went into the bathroom to dry off. When he came back out he was naked from the waist up. Seeing the perplexed look on Rebecca's face he smiled.  
  
"Hey you doused me and I'm not sleeping in a wet shirt."  
  
"So would this be a truce?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah, good night Becca." He said tiredly, turning off the light.  
  
"Night." He heard her reply in the dark.  
  
Isabel stood in the kitchen making tea. It was ten o'clock, Albert still hadn't returned and she was beginning to worry. It wasn't that Isabel was afraid he wasn't coming back, because his things were still in her room. She was worried that something had happened to him. Isabel had just sat down in one of the arm chairs, coffee mug in hand when she heard the sounds of a car coming up the drive and saw the flash of head lights through the window. It was a few moments before the front door opened and Albert walked in.  
  
"You took forever." Isabel said rising from her seat and walking over to him.  
  
"It was hardly forever." He countered taking off his glasses.  
  
"It seemed that way, I was starting to worry." She said going up on tiptoe and giving him a quick kiss on the lips.  
  
Wesker hadn't planned on being away so long today, but it had taken time to arrange things the way he wanted. He hadn't meant to worry her, Wesker hadn't even thought about it. The last person who had worried about him had been his mother.  
  
"I'm fine, see I'm all in one piece." He said smiling at her.  
  
"Good because we need to talk." She said taking his hand and leading him to the kitchen.  
  
So many questions raced through her mind. Isabel really didn't know where to begin. Albert probably knew more about her than she did him.  
  
Isabel had him stumped. Wesker had no idea what she was about to spring on him. She looked so serious and tired, he thought about having her put this off until the morning, but he knew her well enough to know she wouldn't.  
  
"I want some information." Isabel stated.  
  
"So this is to be and interrogation." It wasn't a question.  
  
"Yes, I want to know about your past and your family." She answered.  
  
"This means a lot to you doesn't it?" He asked staring into her clear green eyes.  
  
"Yes it does, I want to know about the father of my child." She answered.  
  
"What do you want to know?"  
  
"Tell me about your parents, you already know about mine."  
  
She didn't know why but she had a curiosity about his family what he had been like as a child.  
  
"I never knew my father; he died when I was three." He started.  
  
"What was his name?" She asked  
  
"David."  
  
"My mother raised me alone until my senior year of high school. Half way through the year she became ill, she died of cancer a month before I graduated."  
  
Isabel didn't know what to say. Albert had remained totally emotionless while telling her about his parents, as if it didn't affect him at all. It was sad to her that he went through that at such a young age. Isabel had lost her mother only three years ago in a car accident, but she had her mom in her life for twenty three years. Her father even though he wasn't in her life, was alive.  
  
"You thought a lot of your mother didn't you?" She asked.  
  
"Of course she raised me."  
  
"What happened after you graduated?" She probed deeper.  
  
"I went to college on a full scholarship."  
  
"A year into my studies I was recruited by a company called The Umbrella Corporation."  
  
"I was one of the scientists that worked on a virus called the T- virus."  
  
"You worked on viruses?" She asked distaste showing on her face.  
  
"Yes, I helped develop a particularly nasty virus that could reanimate dead cells, effectively bringing someone back to life, but they weren't human anymore. The closest description I could use that you would understand would be that they became zombies." He answered.  
  
"About half way through developing the T-virus, Umbrella decided I would be of better use to them taking care of problems." He went on with his story.  
  
Wesker could tell Isabel was upset to learn he, like her father was responsible for creating deadly viruses. She wanted to know about him, he didn't see the point of holding anything back. Isabel needed to know who she was with.  
  
"They then transferred me to the Raccoon S.T.A.R.S. department."  
  
"That's were you met Chris, Jill and Rebecca right?" She cut in.  
  
Isabel hadn't realized he had been so involved with the science aspect of the company. She had thought Albert was more of the muscle so to speak. Isabel heard Johnson refer to him as doctor but it hadn't registered.  
  
"Yes, I met them there and betrayed them during a mission to a secret Umbrella lab. Before we went in I injected myself with another little virus a friend developed. After I died I arose as you see me now." He answered honestly  
  
"But you said the company you worked for was HCF." Isabel stated confusion now showing on her face.  
  
"I betrayed Umbrella for better opportunities with HCF, Umbrella thinks I'm dead." He finished.  
  
It took Isabel a minute to comprehend everything. Now that she knew about Albert's past she was almost sorry she had asked. Isabel had become involved with someone who was almost exactly like her father. Could she really let her child be around a man like this? Then Isabel remembered something her mother told her once. She had asked how her mother could have married a man like her father and she had answered, you have to accept people for who they are faults and all, there is no changing them.  
  
"So now that you know the truth when I leave do you want me to come back?" Wesker's voice broke her train of thought.  
  
"It's who you are." Isabel whispered, knowing he could here clearly.  
  
"Am I happy about it? No." She said her voice gaining strength with every word.  
  
"But you accept it?" He asked.  
  
"Yes I accept the fact that you have killed people for no other reason than they were in your way." She answered  
  
"Do I like it? No."  
  
"I accept that it's your past and who you are and that's what you do when you love someone."  
  
"What?" Wesker asked is voice resonating with disbelief.  
  
"I said you have to accept people for who they are." She answered.  
  
Isabel hadn't realized what she said. He knew that much by her answer.  
  
"No to be exact you said that you accept that my past is who I am and that's what you do when you love someone." Wesker said pushing the issue.  
  
It was true, in that instant Isabel knew she loved him with all his faults, with his past. She didn't know why or how. Maybe it was the tenderness Albert showed her and no one else. Isabel was in love with this totally ruthless and brutal man. But he's more than that. Another voice told her. With him you'll always be protected and safe.  
  
"Is it true?" He asked standing and walking around the table to where she sat.  
  
"Yes, Albert Wesker I love with you." She said staring into his cat eyes.  
  
In one sentence she had laid herself open. She had made herself vulnerable to him. It took a lot of courage and Wesker respected her even more for it, but he wasn't sure what to say now. Did she expect to hear the words back? Did he want to say them? His life right now was confusing at best, chaotic at worst. Not for the first time with Isabel was he at a loss.  
  
"I think the rest of this can wait until morning." Isabel said rising from her seat. "I'm tired, and have a lot to think about.  
  
Isabel knew she had taken him by surprise. She had taken herself by surprise. Isabel also knew that her one simple word had changed things. She didn't know how Albert felt, and she didn't think he knew himself. What she was sure of was that time would tell. Isabel decided then that she wasn't going to push Albert for answers she was sure he wasn't ready to give.  
  
Turning off the kitchen light they headed towards Isabel's room. When they came to the couch Wesker paused a moment. He seemed to be trying to decide something.  
  
"If you want to sleep on the couch I won't fight you." Isabel said from his side.  
  
Wesker looked at Isabel as if truly seeing her for the first time. She wasn't pushing him; she didn't expect anything of him. In that moment he realized Isabel never had, she hadn't ever asked anything of him. She had however given him a great deal. Again she was giving Wesker something; Isabel was giving him a choice. It made it easier for him to take her hand in his and walk to their room. 


	7. chapter 7

Hi! First would like to say sorry for not getting this out a couple of days ago for some reason I couldn't log on. Second I would like to thank Shakahnna, Zarbok, and Veronica Wesker for their continued support. I hope that I do not disappoint in the future. I would also like to thank Zarbok for the one up on Wesker's strength, I'll keep that in mind for my next story if I ever get it written. To Dark Chylde 57 Thank you for your kind words I hope you like the rest of the story and keep reading. I'm also glad Shakahnna liked my portrayal of Rebecca, I tried to stay close to the impressions I got from the games, hope I was close.  
  
Carlos awoke to the sound of a distressed moan coming from where Rebecca lay. He thought he was hearing things and was about to turn over and go back to sleep when she moaned again. This time Rebecca started to mumble something that he couldn't quite make out, it sounded like the word no. Carlos debated on just letting her sleep through it. Besides you don't even know what she's dreaming. Then it happened, she began to thrash about, fighting an imaginary enemy.  
  
Carlos knew he couldn't let Rebecca sleep through her nightmare, so he got out of bed and made his way over to her. As he reached his hand out to shake her awake, Rebecca's fist made contact with his shoulder. Being taken by surprise Carlos stumbled back a few feet before regaining his footing. He never realized she could pack such a punch. Rubbing his shoulder Carlos walked back to try and wake Rebecca again.  
  
"Becca, wake up your having a nightmare." He said shaking her shoulder.  
  
Rebecca's eyes opened and she stared at Carlos blankly for a moment before she answered.  
  
"No shit."  
  
Even though the words were harsh, her voice wasn't and he could tell she was clearly shaken. Carlos' heart went out to Rebecca. She was the youngest in the group and had taken everything that had happened to them hard. In some ways it had been harder for her than Claire, Claire was tough. Rebecca had summed herself up pretty well when she had told Chris she was supposed to be soft she was a medic.  
  
Rebecca didn't want to go back to sleep. She knew the dream would just come back as it did every night, so she decided to get up. As Rebecca began to rise Carlos stepped in front of her.  
  
"Where are you going?" Carlos asked arms crossed in front of his chest.  
  
"Down stairs to watch T.V." She replied.  
  
"You need to sleep." He said sounding like a big brother.  
  
"I can't." Rebecca told him fear apparent on every inch of her face.  
  
Carlos softened his stance at the expression she wore. If he'd had to guess, he'd guess Rebecca had been having these nightmares for awhile. She just hadn't told anyone.  
  
"Yes you can, scoot over." He said gently  
  
"What?" Rebecca asked eyeing him suspiciously.  
  
"I said scoot over."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I'm tired and would like to go back to sleep." Carlos answered exasperated.  
  
Rebecca stared at him a moment then finally inched over until there was a space big enough for him to lie down. Carlos lifted the blankets, sliding into bed next to her and lying on his side he pulled Rebecca close to him.  
  
"Night." He said closing his eyes.  
  
Rebecca didn't think she would be able to sleep with him so close, so she waited a few minutes until it seemed Carlos was once again asleep. When she thought it was safe Rebecca made her move, trying to inch her way to the edge of the bed.  
  
"No, Sleep." Carlos said pulling her closer to him. He wasn't going to let her up, so Rebecca had no choice, she closed her eyes and after a few minutes she too was slumbering.  
  
When Rebecca awoke again the sun was streaming through the window. She was still in Carlos' arms but some how during the night she had turned to face him. Sleeping Carlos looked like a young boy. He always seemed younger than anyone else in the house, and that was because he was always joking, Carlos never seemed to take anything seriously. He looked even younger now. Rebecca couldn't help herself as she looked at his naked chest. That's when she saw a slight bruise on his shoulder, wondering were it had come from Rebecca reached out and ran her fingers over it.  
  
"You did that." Carlos said never opening his eyes.  
  
"So you are awake." Rebecca said surprised.  
  
"People poking at my bruises usually does that." He said finally opening his eyes.  
  
"I did that?" she asked pointing to the mark on his shoulder.  
  
"Yes you did, your kind of strong for being so small." He answered.  
  
Rebecca blushed at that, no one had ever called her strong before. She knew she wasn't as tuff as Claire or Jill and it bothered her. Rebecca was more of a brain than anything, it had taken everything in her to complete the S.T.A.R.S. training, but she had.  
  
"So would you like to tell me what you were dreaming?" He asked finally letting her go and stretching.  
  
"I think you owe me seeing how you beat me up and I had to sleep on the edge of the bed all night." He finished.  
  
"It isn't important, it was just a dream."  
  
"Don't give me that you were afraid to go back to sleep." Carlos said sitting up and leaning against the head board.  
  
"Okay." She said giving in. "The dream was about Billy, ever since Leon discovered that his body was found near that road in the Arkly Mountains I've been dreaming of him."  
  
"We're at the training facility. Billy has his back to me. I put my hand on his shoulder and when he turns around I see he's a carrier. He then comes after me." Rebecca finished looking into Carlos' brown eyes.  
  
"Been there, done that." He stated.  
  
"What?" Rebecca asked.  
  
"I've had those dreams, we all have. Right now you just feel guilty that you didn't go with him. You think if you had gone he may still be alive." He replied  
  
Rebecca was surprised he'd understood that. He was being so serious, he hadn't just shrugged them of as childish nightmares. He had listened and tried to help.  
  
"You know you're smarter than you act." She said smiling at him.  
  
"Of course, if I act too smart everyone will expect it of me." He said unfazed.  
  
"Well now I do." Rebecca replied.  
  
"Oh great." Carlos rolled his eyes.  
  
"Yep." She said punching his arm lightly.  
  
"Ow, Hey no more bruises." He said mock rubbing his arm.  
  
As Rebecca got out of bed Carlos just sat there watching her. She disappeared into the bathroom and after a few minutes she reappeared with his T-shirt.  
  
"It's dry." She said throwing it at him with a smile.  
  
"Now get out so I can change." She finished.  
  
Carlos just smiled about to ask if she wanted any help. Then for the first time since he had met Rebecca he didn't feel like giving her a hard time. Carlos didn't want to joke with her, he wanted to be serious. He didn't know why he felt this way all of the sudden. Carlos wanted her to see him as something more than a jokester, so he decided to just put his shirt on and go when the commotion started in the hallway. Looking at each other He and Rebecca went to see what was going on.  
  
Chris had just stepped out of his and Jill's room when he spied Claire and Leon coming from Leon's room. They were holding hands, smiling at one another and Claire was wearing the same blue shirt and jeans from the day before. To Chris this could only mean one thing.  
  
"Kennedy you're a dead man." Chris yelled anger welling up inside him.  
  
Claire knew the look on Chris' face, she had only seen it once before but that was enough. When she was sixteen a date had become a little too fresh with her and when Chris found out he had beat the kid into a bloody mess. Claire had never seen him that angry before and seeing Chris this way now made her afraid for Leon.  
  
"Chris nothing happened." She said stepping between them.  
  
"My ass nothing happened. You come out of his room wearing clothes from yesterday and nothing happened." He retorted.  
  
By this time the whole house seemed to be out in the hallway. Everyone worried about what Chris was going to do. Chris didn't notice any of them all his attention was locked on to Leon and Claire.  
  
"I slept in Carlos' bed." Claire stated her voice matching the tone and level of his.  
  
"I'm not stupid Claire. Don't treat me like I am."  
  
Chris trusted Leon. He would have trusted him with his life. Chris felt betrayed by a man he considered a friend. Knowing Leon had taken advantage of his little sister made his blood boil.  
  
"Fine, yes we had wild sex all night." Claire finally said exasperated.  
  
Claire watched as Leon's jaw dropped in disbelief at what she just said. On the other hand Chris turned an even deeper shade of red than his already crimson color, if that was possible.  
  
"SON OF A BITCH." Chris yelled lunging for Leon and pulling his fist back ready to take a swing at him.  
  
Claire being in between both of them reacted faster than anyone. She did the only thing she could think of to distract Chris. Balling up her hand Claire threw her punch which connected squarely with his jaw effectively stunning him. It gave Carlos and Jill enough time to get him down the stairs and into the kitchen. Once there they sat him down in one of the chairs and wouldn't allow him to get up.  
  
"My sister just decked me." He said in disbelief.  
  
"You deserved it." Jill reprimanded.  
  
"What?" He said looking at her.  
  
"You heard me. You went off like some wild man before you got all the facts." She replied.  
  
"Damn it he took advantage of my baby sister and I'm trying to protect her."  
  
"No he didn't." Carlos said.  
  
"Yeah right." Chris said still not believing.  
  
"I heard Leon he had her sleep on my bed."  
  
Carlos said crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"What?" Chris asked.  
  
"I heard them through the door. He told her she would have to sleep in my bed."  
  
"Like I'm really going to believe that." Chris said mimicking Carlos stance.  
  
"Hey believe me or not it's the truth." Carlos shot back.  
  
"Listen to me Chris, you know Leon he wouldn't do something like that." Jill said looking into his eyes.  
  
"You know I'm right." She continued.  
  
Lowering his eyes Chris let out a sigh, in the end he knew they were both right, Leon would never do anything like that especially after all Claire had been through. Chris knew his temper usually got the better of him when it came to protecting Claire, but he was her big brother she was his responsibility. Now that he had time to cool down Chris could see just how wrong he had been.  
  
"Yeah I know you guys are right, I guess I owe them an apology." He said defeated.  
  
It took a few minutes for Leon to get over his shock at what had just happened. He expected Chris to be unhappy about them staying in the same room last night, but Claire had just made matters worse by her little stunt.  
  
"What the hell did you do that for?" He asked Claire in disbelief.  
  
"I had to get it through to him that I'm not a child anymore." She replied.  
  
"Yeah well he didn't come after you." He said still shaken.  
  
"I'm sorry, but he can be so frustrating sometimes. I didn't think he would actually believe me." She finished.  
  
"Well he did. Claire, I love you but please don't ever do that to me again." He said after a moment.  
  
"I won't, I promise." She said with a smile.  
  
By the time Claire and Leon walked into the kitchen Chris' anger had finally subsided. He could tell they were both nervous being around him, wondering what he would do. Leon was the first one to speak.  
  
"Chris nothing happened last night. I love Claire and we want to take it slow."  
  
Chris could tell his young friend was being honest with him and he was starting to feel bad about going off on him. Slowly a grin started to spread on his face, Chris knew his sister was in good hands with Leon. He couldn't believe that he thought Leon would ever take advantage of her. Now he was going have to apologize to them.  
  
"I know. I should have known better." Chris said.  
  
"What?" Claire said disbelievingly.  
  
"I'm trying to say I'm sorry." Chris stated.  
  
Claire had never heard her brother apologize to anyone before. He usually felt he was in the right no matter what. It was refreshing to see this if not a little weird.  
  
"Chris that's not what I want. What I do want is for you to understand that I'm adult." Claire replied  
  
"I know you are Claire, but you're still my little sister." Chris answered.  
  
"I know Chris, but if Leon and I decide to take the next step that's between us." Claire said looking straight into his eyes.  
  
"Yeah, but I don't have to be happy about it, nor do I want to know about it." Chris said.  
  
"Believe me you won't." Leon interjected.  
  
Chris couldn't help but laugh at the apprehensive look on Leon's face.  
  
"Oh, and by the way Claire nice right hook." He said rubbing his jaw and smiling at her.  
  
Chris knew that there might be a slight bruise, but she hadn't done any real damage.  
  
"Hey I learned from the best." She replied with a smile.  
  
Everyone in the room seemed to relax at that. It had been a very tense morning for the household.  
  
"Has anyone seen Isabel?" Rebecca asked looking around the kitchen.  
  
In all the commotion no one had notice Isabel's absence. Now they all wondered why she hadn't shown up when the yelling had started. Isabel was usually the first one to try to smooth things out.  
  
"I'll go check her room." Claire said heading for the hallway.  
  
As soon as Claire knocked on the door it was answered by a clearly upset Isabel.  
  
"Are you alright?" Claire asked concern showing on her face.  
  
"Yes I'm fine." Isabel answered with a smile.  
  
"Are you sure? You don't look it." Claire replied, not quite believing her.  
  
"I was just worried about what was going on and Albert wouldn't let me go see what was happening." Isabel said with a grimace.  
  
Claire smiled at this she was beginning to realize Isabel didn't like being told what to do.  
  
"I never thought I would say this, but he did the right thing." Claire said with a shrug.  
  
"You or the baby could have been hurt."  
  
"I know, but I was still worried. What happened? Isabel asked stepping into the hallway and shutting the door behind her.  
  
"I spent the night in Leon's room and Chris found out. Nothing happened but you know how Chris is." Claire answered.  
  
"So is Leon alive?"  
  
"Yes, we got things settled."  
  
"Good, I'll be out in a few minutes."  
  
"That's cool we were just worried about you."  
  
Isabel just smiled. She wasn't use to having so many people concerned for her well fair. Isabel always had people who cared about her, just not so many in one house.  
  
"I'll make breakfast in a few minutes." Isabel said going back to her room to change.  
  
"Don't worry about it Carlos is making eggs last I heard." Claire said sticking her tongue out in distaste.  
  
"I don't know why guys don't like his omelets they're pretty good." Isabel replied seeing the look on her face.  
  
"Well that proves it you're as crazy as the rest of the people in this house." Claire said smiling again.  
  
"Sometimes I wonder." Isabel said smiling back and going to her room.  
  
Walking back into the kitchen Claire was happy to see things back to normal. Carlos stood at the stove cooking. Rebecca, Jill, Chris, and Leon sat at the table discussing some movie that had just come out. Noticing Claire standing there watching them Leon smiled at her.  
  
"So is she okay?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah, Wesker wouldn't let her come out to see what was going on. He didn't want Isabel or the baby getting hurt." Claire replied.  
  
Rebecca and Chris were the only two who seemed unfazed. Rebecca had a smirk on her face as if something she had suspected was confirmed. Chris simply went on to read the newspaper in front of him. Jill, Carlos and Leon just stared at her as if she had sprouted an extra set of arms. Claire knew they were wondering why he would care either way. Isabel should have told them. Claire wasn't sure what she was going to say now that she had effectively let the cat out of the bag.  
  
"Well I guess that's one mystery solved." Jill said taking a sip of coffee.  
  
"You, Chris and Rebecca don't look too surprised. How long have you known?" She continued.  
  
"A couple of days." Chris and Claire said in unison.  
  
"I've suspected since she arrived. Why else would he have helped her?" Rebecca said picking at the eggs Carlos had just placed in front of her.  
  
Jill was astounded, she never thought the people in this house were any good at keeping secrets, but apparently she had been wrong. What Jill couldn't understand was why Isabel hadn't told her. They had talked about the baby several times and Isabel had told her she thought it was a girl because of a dream she'd had while at the facility. Isabel said she knew it was stupid but it gave her a feeling. Jill had told her she was probably right sometimes you could just tell. Every time they got to close to the subject of whom the father was Isabel changed it. Jill had assumed that it had been too painful because she didn't know if he was alive or not so she hadn't pried. Now Jill wondered how Chris and Claire knew Isabel hadn't told anyone else. Why would she tell them?  
  
"How did you and Claire find out?" Jill asked Chris.  
  
"I don't know how Claire knows, but she let it slip the day HE came back." He answered looking up from the paper.  
  
"I sort of walked in on them kissing the other day." Claire confessed blushing. "We kind of had it out over that. She said some things that made a lot of sense."  
  
"So that's what the sudden change is all about." Chris said smiling. "Leave it to Isabel."  
  
So it wasn't that Isabel felt she could trust them more. Jill thought. Whoa you sound a little jealous there. A voice told her. Maybe I was I thought we were friends but she didn't tell me. Then again she didn't tell anyone really. It made Jill feel a little better that it wasn't that Isabel didn't trust her, she simply hadn't told anyone.  
  
"Do you think she would have told us ever?" She asked any of them.  
  
"I guess we'll never know now. Does it really matter?" Leon asked  
  
"No." Jill answered knowing it was the truth.  
  
After Isabel had spoken with Claire she went back into her room to change, she hadn't meant to sleep in. Isabel was usually up before everyone. She wouldn't consider herself a morning person, but Isabel definitely liked the quiet of the house when everyone was asleep. She had been about to get up when Chris had started yelling. Knowing she was going to rush out and see what was wrong, Albert had swiftly pinned her to the mattress with one arm.  
  
"What ever it is they can resolve it themselves." He told her not moving.  
  
Isabel had tried to push his arm away determined to find out what was wrong, but hadn't been able to move it. Though he wasn't hurting her Albert's grip was like steel. Once Isabel had promised to stay there until everything had blown over he had relaxed his grip. Even though she was now able to move his arm she hadn't and after a few moments Albert moved his arm from a crossed her chest to the swell of her stomach. The baby as if sensing its father's presence had begun to stir. A slight grin had appeared on Albert's face then. Isabel hadn't realized exactly how strong Albert was and she began to wonder if the baby would be also so she had asked.  
  
"Albert will she have your strength?" She said looking into his eyes.  
  
"It's a possibility." Wesker answered.  
  
"It might." He continued over emphasizing the it.  
  
"Are you uncomfortable with the thought you may have a daughter? Isabel asked placing her hand on Albert's and intertwining their fingers.  
  
"I'm uncomfortable with the thought of being a father." He answered looking down at their hands.  
  
"If you aren't sure you can do this then when you leave you shouldn't come back." Isabel stated.  
  
Wesker looked into her eyes. Isabel's voice hadn't been angry when she spoke, she had simply stated a fact. He saw that her eyes glistened with the tears she was holding back. Inching closer to her Wesker tried to figure out how to explain.  
  
"It isn't a matter of not being able to do it. I'm going to be a father." He finally stated. "I'm going to have this little person relying on me to do what is best for him or her. I've only ever had to do what is best for me. Now I have not one but two people relying on me. It isn't just about me anymore. My actions affect you and the baby and I'm not exactly father material."  
  
It had taken a lot for Albert to admit these things Isabel knew. He seemed to keep so much inside, the only emotions she had ever really seen him display were his anger and annoyance. Isabel knew now he was capable of more even if Albert didn't.  
  
"What would you have me tell you?" She had asked.  
  
"Tell me YOU want me to leave and not come back." He replied.  
  
"I'm not letting you off that easy. Leave or stay do so because you want to and for no other reason." Isabel said in a quiet voice tears threatening to fall again.  
  
"I will tell you one thing. You being here right now makes you a better father in my eyes than my own."  
  
With that Isabel had gotten up to answer the knock on the door and Wesker had gone to take a shower.  
  
Wesker came out of the bathroom just in time to see Isabel close the bedroom door.  
  
"What was that all about?" He asked.  
  
"They were worried about me because I didn't show up for breakfast." She answered.  
  
Wesker just nodded at Isabel. Looking into his eyes she wanted to tell him she needed him and she wanted him to be there, but Isabel had promised herself she wouldn't push him in anyway. Then something occurred to her.  
  
"I hope the baby has your eyes they're so unique and beautiful." Isabel said never taking her eyes off his.  
  
Wesker gave a slight laugh of disbelief before speaking.  
  
"It would be better if he or she had yours. Abilities like mine are easy to hide or control. Eye color is a bit harder. It would be easier for him or her to fit in with your eye color." He answered back.  
  
"Besides yours are truly beautiful. Mine are just a bothersome side effect." He added after a moment.  
  
Isabel blushed at the compliment. She knew that to him it was the truth or he wouldn't have said it.  
  
"That doesn't change my mind." She stated.  
  
"You can be a very exasperating woman sometimes." Wesker replied shaking his head.  
  
"Well I try."  
  
"You succeed." He said pulling her into an embrace and kissing her.  
  
Isabel's hands made their way to the top button of Albert's shirt on their own accord. Successfully dealing with that one they began working their way down. By the time she got to the third button Albert was trailing little kisses form her ear to her collarbone. Once there he paused trying to get a grip on himself. After a few heart beats he spoke.  
  
"We can't, they're waiting for you in the kitchen."  
  
"So?" She asked.  
  
"So, you need to get dressed and go out there." He answered straightening up and re-buttoning his shirt.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"No, but go on I'll be out in a little while."  
  
Confused Isabel grabbed some clothes, quickly dressed and went to join everyone in the kitchen.  
  
Everyone was so busy eating and talking that no one noticed Isabel listening to the conversation from the door.  
  
"I can't believe she didn't tell us." Jill said pouring another cup of coffee.  
  
"I can't believe Chris was able to keep it a secret." Rebecca replied. "I mean you hate him more than any of us. I'm surprised you didn't blow your top when you found out."  
  
"I was too surprised to do anything. Now I laugh every time I think about the world having to deal with another little Wesker running around." Chris said smiling.  
  
"I'm sorry you feel that way Chris." Isabel said tears running down her cheeks.  
  
Chris looked at her before she could wipe the tears away, an o shit expression on his face.  
  
"Isabel I didn't..." He started to say.  
  
"You didn't mean for me to hear it." She cut in tears still streaming down her face.  
  
"No I didn't mean it like that. It was a joke, a bad one." He continued. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have said it."  
  
Chris stood up and walked over to where Isabel stood and wiped her tears away giving her a hug.  
  
"It's okay. I guess I'm just sensitive about how everyone will treat the baby." She replied.  
  
"It isn't okay I shouldn't have said it. It was mean and hurtful."  
  
"We aren't going to treat you or the baby any differently because of him." Jill spoke up. "We promise."  
  
At that everyone began shaking their heads in agreement. Isabel wasn't sure why but she began crying again.  
  
"I-I have to check on something." She said walking towards the front door, trying to hold back the tears until she reached the front steps where she sat down and started bawling. That's where Rebecca found her still crying.  
  
"What's really wrong?" Rebecca asked.  
  
"Me." Isabel replied. "One moment I'm fine, the next all I want to do is cry and it happens over stupid things too. I've never cried so much in my life." She said starting to cry again.  
  
"It's okay." Rebecca said placing an arm around her.  
  
"No it's not I don't feel like myself."  
  
"Yes it is. It's normal, you're pregnant and your hormones are all messed up. You're allowed to be this way it doesn't mean your weak. No one's going to hold it against you."  
  
"Are you sure?" Isabel asked.  
  
"I'm certain of it. In a few months this will all be over and you'll be your old self again." Rebecca answered. "In the meantime, I need to tell everyone your okay. Chris is in there right now kicking himself."  
  
"He shouldn't be I know he really didn't mean anything by it. I shouldn't have been so harsh with him." Isabel said tears forming again.  
  
"Let me go reassure them, then I'll be back and you can cry on my shoulder as long as you need." Rebecca told her smiling.  
  
As Rebecca dashed inside to tell everyone everything was alright she met Wesker walking to the kitchen.  
  
"She isn't in there. She's outside on the front porch." She told him.  
  
"Why?" He asked concerned.  
  
"I'm afraid the pregnancy has finally gotten the better of her. She's a little weepy right now." Rebecca answered.  
  
"I was just going to tell everyone she's okay then go back out."  
  
"You don't have to I'll talk to her." He said I a brisk tone.  
  
"Sir she doesn't need you to talk to her, she needs someone to just be there, or hold her when she cries." Rebecca replied.  
  
"Chambers I'm not your captain anymore don't call me sir." Wesker said walking towards the front door.  
  
"That was fast." Isabel said when she heard the door open.  
When no reply came she turned around. Surprise showing on her face when she saw who stood there.  
  
Wesker just stood there watching Isabel. He could tell she had really been crying not just a few tears, but a flood. He was trying to decide what to say to her. Then Wesker realized Chambers was right. Isabel didn't need some one to talk to her. She needed someone to be there for her, to just hold her when Isabel needed it and he knew then that when he left he would come back again and again to be with her and their child. Sitting down next to Isabel he placed both arms around her.  
  
Laying her head on his chest Isabel could hear his heart beat, strong and steady. She didn't know what to say. Albert hadn't said a word since stepping out on to the porch and she was afraid he had decided not to come back when he left. It will be okay I can handle it. She told herself as she started to tear up again.  
  
Feeling her body begin to shake Wesker could tell she had begun crying again.  
  
"I heard we were a little weepy right now." He said in a gentle tone.  
  
"Rebecca told you?" Isabel asked looking up.  
  
"Yes she did. She didn't seem to think it was too big of a deal."  
  
"It is to me. I can't seem to control it."  
  
"It's alright you don't have to. Just let it all out. We'll stay here as long as you need."  
  
"Really?" She asked  
  
"Really." He replied.  
  
They stayed that way for quite awhile. 


	8. chapter 8

Hi again! Dark Chylde 57 I'm glad you still like the story and the Carlos Rebecca thing, but I am not the first to come up with it, there have been several stories out there with that pairing I don't take any credit for it I just liked what other people have done with it and put my own spin on it. So I'm not really that brilliant, even though I do have my moments. Shakahnna I'm glad you hanging in there with the story, since you were the first to give me encouragement on fan fanfiction.net, but I sometimes think Isabel is to sweet and I kind of make a jab at that a little later in the story it's kind of an inside joke, but all in all I was happy with the way things turned out. Oh and I'm posting this a little earlier than expected because I didn't want anybody thinking I was taking credit coming up with the whole Rebecca Carlos thing.  
  
"Albert, I'm kind of hungry." Isabel said after the tears had subsided.  
  
"Well then we should get you some food." He answered letting her go.  
  
Standing first Wesker then helped Isabel out of her position on the steps. When she was upright again he placed a small kiss on her forehead and taking Isabel's hand in his walked her to the kitchen. Isabel was well aware of the curious glances at them together as they walked through the living room.  
  
Chris and Jill were still sitting at the kitchen table when they walked in. Both of them were reading different sections of the newspaper.  
  
"It's eleven what would you rather have breakfast or lunch?" Wesker asked.  
  
"I'll just make myself some eggs." Isabel said starting to move toward the refrigerator.  
  
Still holding her hand Wesker gently pulled her back.  
  
"No you aren't, I'm cooking for you this time." He stated pulling out a chair and placing her in it.  
  
Chris and Jill both looked up in surprise upon hearing that. It was the last thing they would have expected from him. Jill smiled at Isabel raising an eyebrow. Isabel smiled back trying hard not to laugh. Then she remembered that everyone knew about her and Albert and she turned pink.  
  
"Jill who told you about..." She trailed off.  
  
"Claire accidentally let it slip when she told us you were okay." She replied. "I was a little surprised, but Leon almost dropped his plate and for once Carlos was speechless."  
  
"I hate to disturb your conversation, but what do you want with your egg bacon or sausage?" Wesker asked from the refrigerator.  
  
"Just eggs would be good." She answered.  
  
After seeing the disapproving look on his face she added.  
  
"And some toast."  
  
Even with the sunglasses on Isabel could tell Albert thought she should eat more. The truth was she wasn't a big pork eater, she never had been. It was just too greasy. Giving him a smile she explained.  
  
"I really don't like sausage or bacon."  
  
"You need to eat more than just eggs and toast."  
  
"I think there are some hash browns left in the freezer." Jill spoke up.  
  
"Hmm that sounds good with some maple syrup." Isabel said brightening.  
  
Wesker's face remained emotionless when Isabel had sprung her idea on them. He could tell by the look on Valentine and Redfield's faces that it didn't sound appealing to them. It really didn't sound appealing to him either. Wesker had always heard stories of pregnant women having weird cravings. He guessed he was experiencing it first hand.  
  
"So then we're having eggs, hash browns, and toast and let's not forget the syrup." He said looking at her.  
  
Isabel nodded her head like and eager child and Wesker couldn't help but smile at her. He was rewarded wit one of her brilliant smiles back. Nudging Chris with her elbow Jill spoke.  
  
"We need to go grocery shopping. Isabel made another list, come on."  
  
Chris folded the newspaper and followed Jill into the living room and after a few minutes one of the cars could be heard leaving.  
  
"I didn't know you could cook." Isabel said watching Wesker from where she sat.  
  
"I have managed to take care of myself for over twenty years." He replied.  
  
"Wow that would make you really..."  
  
"If you finish that sentence Miss Landen you're not getting any syrup."  
  
Isabel thought Albert was serious for a moment. His voice hadn't changed and his back was still to her. Isabel worried she had crossed some line until Albert turned to face her. His glasses were off and he had a smile on. She laughed out loud relieved he had taken her joke the right way.  
  
"I'll go get the syrup." She said still laughing.  
  
"No you won't your going to relax. I'll find it." He said walking to the pantry.  
  
Wesker emerged a few seconds later bottle in hand. Placing it on the table he then went back to dishing up their meal. Sitting down and handing a plate to Isabel, Wesker watched in amusement as she poured syrup over eggs, hash browns and toast. After a few bites she paused realizing he wasn't eating.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"Nothing, I've just never seen eggs eaten like that before." He said smiling.  
  
"No one asked you to eat them like this." She said sticking her tongue out at him. "You try being pregnant sometime. You can have the next one."  
  
Wesker was starting to suspect that Isabel had a habit of not realizing what she was saying. She was a very honest person and so didn't censor herself much. It also gave away what Isabel was thinking and feeling. She should be more careful, someone could use that against her. He knew that no one here would do that but most of the world wasn't like that. It amazed Wesker that even though Isabel had been kidnapped and abused she could still be so innocent. He could only hope their child picked up more of her character traits. Wesker had heard what Redfield had said earlier about another Wesker running around and he was right if the baby was anything like him the world would be in trouble.  
  
"Is that an invitation?" He asked.  
  
"An invitation to what?" She asked back perplexed.  
  
"Never mind, as long as the food tastes good to you that's all that matters."  
  
"It does."  
  
"Then you'd better finish it before it gets cold."  
  
After they finished eating Isabel began to clear the table and do the dishes.  
  
"You're not doing that." Wesker stated standing behind her.  
  
"I'm not leaving these here for someone else to do." She replied.  
  
"I'll do them." He said taking the dish she was holding from her.  
  
"Fine you wash I'll dry."  
  
"No I'll do them myself."  
  
"Don't argue with me Albert it will go faster my way."  
  
Wesker opened his mouth to do just that, but the glare Isabel gave him stopped it. This over protective bit was quickly becoming annoying. At first Isabel thought it was sweet but Albert was taking it too far. She had needed his strength earlier, but she wasn't some fragile flower who couldn't do anything for herself. If Albert was going to continue this way the rest of the day Isabel knew there was going to be a fight.  
  
With both of them working it didn't take long to get the morning dishes done. When they were finished Isabel walked to the living room where Claire, Leon and Carlos were watching some sitcom. They didn't take any notice of her walking by.  
  
Hearing the faint sounds of gun shots Isabel assumed Rebecca was in the back field practicing. Before she could reach the stairs leading to the bedrooms Albert was by her side.  
  
"What are you doing?" He said.  
  
"I'm going to get laundry started."  
  
"No you aren't your taking a nap."  
  
With that Wesker led her back to their room. He could tell by the frown on her face she wasn't happy with him and he didn't really care after this morning he wanted her to relax. Isabel seemed to do quite a bit around the place she deserved some time off.  
  
"I have things to do." Isabel said going towards the door.  
  
"No you don't your going to take a nap." He repeated, his voice becoming the deadly quiet it always did when he was angry.  
  
"Do people always follow your orders with out question?" She asked her voice becoming louder.  
  
"They do if they know what's best for them." He countered stepping between her and the door.  
  
That was it Isabel was fed up with being treated like a child. Albert was going to have to realize that though she loved and wanted him in her life she wasn't going to let him control her.  
  
"Well I guess I don't know what's good for me then because I'm going to do the laundry."  
  
"No you aren't you're going to take a nap."  
  
"Damn it I'm not a child. And I'm not one of your soldiers to be ordered around."  
  
"There are times like this morning when I need you and then there are times when I can take care of myself. I know what I can and can't do and I don't push it."  
  
"Exasperating woman."  
  
"Yes we covered that this morning."  
  
Wesker reached up and caressed her cheek at that.  
  
"Please, for me lie down for awhile and rest."  
  
Isabel was slightly shocked, she had only heard Albert use the word please one other time and then it hadn't been a request it had been an order. This time was different he was asking her, not telling her to do this for him and that was all she needed.  
  
Turning away from the door Isabel allowed Albert to guide her to the bed. After kicking off her shoes and lying down he placed a blanket over her. Grabbing his hand she spoke.  
  
"I'm only pregnant. I'm not dying you know. I can still do most of what I could before."  
  
"Then why do you look so tired all the time?" He asked kneeling beside the bed.  
  
"I guess worrying has finally caught up with me." She replied not looking at him.  
  
"There is nothing to worry about. No one knows where you are, your safe."  
  
"It isn't just me I worry about."  
  
"Of course not, that wouldn't be you."  
  
"Maybe this will help you rest. When I leave again I WILL be back."  
  
Isabel felt the last remnants of fear and tension leave her. She wanted to say so many things to Albert, but in the end she knew they didn't need to be said, that some how he would already know. So Isabel just gave him a contented smile.  
  
"Are you staying here while I rest?"  
  
"I think that if I stay here you won't be getting much rest." He replied standing up and walking towards the door.  
  
The last thing Isabel saw before drifting off was Albert watching her from the open doorway.  
  
Walking past the glances the group on the couch gave him, Wesker made his way to the firing range. He knew they had heard Isabel's raised voice and were curious as to what they were arguing about, but he didn't care. When he arrived at his destination Chambers was already there. She didn't realize he was there until she stopped to reload her gun. Still Rebecca didn't say anything she just continued practicing. Wesker wasn't sure why he was doing this. He didn't need the practice every shot he made hit the target dead center. Wesker was just trying to kill time until Isabel woke up. Deep in thought it was several minutes before he realized Rebecca had stopped and was watching him.  
  
"Did you want something Chambers?" He asked reloading his weapon, not looking at her.  
  
"Sir, I was wondering do you love her."  
  
"Chambers for the last time I'm not your captain anymore."  
  
"Old habits die hard." She said looking at him.  
  
"Chambers I would have thought you would be nervous around me and a gun."  
  
"Why? I'm the one who's going to deliver your child. It would be unfortunate if anything happened to me."  
  
"Then I guess I'll have to make sure nothing does." He said aiming once again at his target.  
  
"Next time you don't want to answer you can tell me it's none of my business sir." Rebecca said picking up her weapon and heading inside.  
  
Rebecca knew Wesker was trying to intimidate her. Something he couldn't do anymore. When he had first recruited her all Wesker would have to do is give her one of his emotionless looks and she'd feel two inches tall. He'd always seemed so cold and He'd never hung out with the rest of the officers. The only time Wesker interacted with any of them was during training exercises. He was never mean to them just indifferent. The only time Rebecca had ever seen Wesker smile was right before he'd pulled the trigger on her.  
  
It was weird seeing Wesker connect with another person. Rebecca couldn't help herself, she had watched from the window as he sat next to Isabel and held her. Rebecca knew the answer to the question she'd asked. He wouldn't have been so tender with someone he wasn't in love with.  
  
"Now he just needs to tell her." She said out loud to herself.  
  
"Tell who what?" Carlos asked walking up behind her.  
  
"Oh I was thinking about Isabel." She answered.  
  
"Hey I thought you were watching T.V. with Claire and Leon."  
  
"I was until they started snuggling on the couch." He said wrinkling his nose.  
  
Rebecca smiled at his facial expression and Carlos couldn't help but smile back at her. She had such a pretty smile. Carlos was beginning to realize just how beautiful Rebecca was. She wasn't the striking beauty of Jill or the conventional beauty of Claire or even the natural beauty of Isabel. Rebecca had a shy, innocent beauty that was uniquely hers. You need to stop thinking like that she's just a kid, Carlos told himself.  
  
"So do you want to play cards?" Rebecca asked never guessing what was going on in his mind.  
  
"Sure, what will it be war or go fish?"  
  
Rebecca just stared at him surprised by his choices.  
  
"What?" He asked perplexed by her reaction.  
  
"I'm just surprised you didn't mention something like strip poker."  
  
"No fun with just two people, besides your probably some card shark and I'd be the one naked." He said grinning.  
  
"Well then go fish it is. Let me go find the cards."  
  
Rummaging through the kitchen drawers Rebecca realized Carlos was acting strange. When she mentioned strip poker Rebecca could have sworn she saw him blush. Carlos hadn't even come up with some smart ass remark even though he'd grinned at her underneath she could tell he was being serious. Maybe he didn't sleep well after all.  
  
"I can't find them. I think Isabel knows where they are." Rebecca said turning to face Carlos.  
  
"I wouldn't disturb her if I were you unless you want to deal with Wesker. He has her lying down."  
  
"Yeah, in that case I'll let her sleep."  
  
"Well I guess that ideas shot." He said turning to go back into the living room.  
  
"Wait, we could play monopoly." Rebecca said not wanting him to leave.  
  
"I don't know... you always win."  
  
"Okay if your chicken."  
  
"I didn't say that. Bring it on."  
  
Carlos smiled at her as she rushed passed him to retrieve the game before he could change his mind.  
  
Isabel woke up to find she had only slept an hour. Though she hadn't been asleep long Isabel felt very refresh. Putting her shoes back on she wondered into the kitchen. The monopoly game was strewn around the table, but whoever had been playing it was no where to be found. Who had left the mess in her kitchen became obvious when Rebecca came tearing through the kitchen followed close behind by Carlos. As Rebecca headed out the side door laughing and holding multi-colored bits of paper. Isabel had just enough time to yell.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
Carlos skidded to a halt and just looked at her finally realizing she was in the room.  
  
"I was winning for once and when I got up to get a drink Rebecca stole my money." He answered.  
  
"So how long have you been chasing her around?"  
  
"I don't know five minutes. She needs to be taught a lesson."  
  
Isabel just shook her head motioning for him to go after Rebecca.  
  
Running outside Carlos found Rebecca hiding behind Wesker's black jeep.  
  
"Okay hand it over." He said extending his hand palm up.  
  
"No. I'm the monopoly queen. You aren't supposed to win." Rebecca said laughing so hard she doubled over.  
  
"Don't make me come after you again."  
  
Fine you want it. Come and get it." She said stuffing the play money down her shirt.  
  
"You think that will stop me?" He asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes." Rebecca replied in a small voice.  
  
"Sorry, I'm going in after it." He said grinning from ear to ear.  
  
Taking a couple of steps back eyes widening Rebecca was trying to think of a way to get out of this. Carlos was too fast for her and before she could get away from him, he had her by the arm. Grabbing Rebecca's shirt and giving it a swift tug up Carlos un-tucked it and the colorful bits of paper fluttered to the ground.  
  
Still holding on to a shocked Rebecca, Carlos smile faded as he looked into her beautiful blue eyes. Before he knew what was happening Carlos leaned forward placing a gentle kiss on her lips. Rebecca didn't fight him she just stood very still as if frozen in place. Lifting his head Carlos looked questioningly at her.  
  
Rebecca didn't know what to say or do. She'd never expected anything like this to happen. Carlos was a kidder but Rebecca didn't expect him to take it any farther. All she could do was stare at him. It was a few minutes before Rebecca snapped out of her daze.  
  
"I have to go clean the mess in the kitchen up." She said blushing.  
  
Before Carlos could stop her, Rebecca ran for the house. God what have I done? Carlos thought putting his hands over his face and running them up through his hair. As he looked toward the house trying to figure out what he was going to do, Carlos saw Isabel walking toward the range. 


	9. chapter 9

For a split second Isabel contemplated cleaning the mess on the table up, before deciding to leave it for Carlos and Rebecca. Checking on Leon and Claire who had somehow managed to sleep through the minor skirmish that had made its way through the house Isabel decided to find Albert. Hearing gunshots and with everyone accounted for she guessed he was outside. With a final glance at the couple on the couch Isabel went out to find him.  
  
Even as a novice with guns watching Albert Isabel could tell he was good. He seemed so at ease with his firearm. It had taken her a week to be comfortable enough to hold hers. Chris had been very patient with Isabel, encouraging her when she had taken her first shot at the target and completely missed it. He had also shown Isabel how to properly clean and care for her gun. Now she at least hit the target every time.  
  
Wesker hearing footsteps as someone approached looked over to meet their gaze. Realizing it was Isabel he gave a slight smile.  
  
"Did you sleep well?" He asked taking of his sunglasses.  
  
"Yes, very." She answered smiling back.  
  
Isabel wasn't sure what else to say, they seemed to have taken care of all the really important matters in the last few days. All accept the one that lay most heavily on her heart.  
  
Isabel knew he would always be there for the baby, he'd told her that much. What she really wanted to know, what she really wanted was for Albert to love her. When Isabel told him how she felt last night, she'd told herself it didn't matter if Albert didn't return the feeling. Now she realized it was a lie. Isabel wanted him to love her back.  
  
Sensing her hesitation Wesker decided to take control of the conversation.  
  
"You said you've been practicing. Let's see what you can do."  
  
"I left my gun at the house." Isabel replied.  
  
"You can use mine." Wesker stated handing her his gun.  
  
Isabel seemed nervous about practicing in front of him and Wesker didn't understand why, she seemed totally at ease with Redfield. Was she worried he'd be disappointed in her. Isabel had no reason to be, he understood this wasn't who she was and all of this had been forced upon her. Wesker just wanted to make sure for himself that she could handle any situation.  
  
Isabel held the weapon tentatively. Although it looked almost exactly like her 9mm it felt different somehow. Shrugging it off as it just being an unfamiliar gun, Isabel took her position in front of the target and prepared to fire. Lifting the gun up in front of her Isabel noticed her hands trembled slightly. She only hoped Albert hadn't caught it. Taking aim Isabel squeezed off a few shots and was relieved when they hit the target almost dead center. As she was about to fire a few more shots Isabel heard "Well done," In her ear causing Isabel to miss the next one.  
  
"What happened you were doing fairly well?" Wesker asked still standing very close to her.  
  
"You distracted me." She said turning to look at him.  
  
"In combat situations there are distractions, you can't let them effect you. Do you think the enemy is going to let you take five minutes to aim and fire?"  
  
"No but some how I don't think they would distract me like you, or make me as nervous." Isabel said looking at her hands which were still trembling slightly.  
  
"Why do I make you nervous?" He asked placing a hand over hers on the gun, effectively steadying them.  
  
"You're a warrior, it's what your good at and thrive on and you expect perfection."  
  
"Not from you. I know that isn't who you are and that's why I love you."  
  
Isabel was speechless. She hadn't expected Albert to say it and the words had fallen from his lips as naturally as if he were talking about the weather. Albert stood there not moving just looking at Isabel, waiting for her reaction, she could tell. She just didn't know why, she had already told him how she felt, nothing had changed. It was Isabel's turn to be strong and so she closed the space between them, put her arms around Albert's neck and pulled him close in an embrace.  
  
A few months ago having some one tremble in his presence would have given Wesker great satisfaction. It meant he'd done his job well. To see Isabel nervous like that because of him was greatly upsetting. It was then that Wesker was sure how he felt. For the first time in his life Albert Wesker was in love.  
  
For Isabel it was a perfect moment, being in the arms of the man she loved, knowing he loved her back. She wanted to stay this way forever, but Isabel knew she couldn't there were things to be done.  
  
"Is this where you ask me to let you go?" Isabel asked releasing him and smiling.  
  
"No this is where I ask you to let me stay." He answered seriously.  
  
"I didn't mean it that way I was only kidding."  
  
"I know, but I want to make sure you know where I stand."  
  
"Shall we continue practicing then?" Isabel asked turning back to the target.  
  
"If I won't distract you too much." Wesker said with a grin.  
  
"I wouldn't have it any other way." She replied grinning back at him.  
  
Taking aim Isabel hit the target every time and soon she was as comfortable with Albert standing beside her as she was with Chris. They practiced together for an hour before Isabel checking, his watch decided it was time to start the evening meal. Walking back to the house hand in hand with Albert Isabel was the first to speak  
  
"I want you to have dinner with me, with us."  
  
"I don't think that's a good idea. I'm not well liked by them and for good reason." Wesker replied stopping and tugging on her hand so that she too stopped and faced him.  
  
"I don't care your going to have to learn to get along with them and them with you. You guys are going to be around each other if you'll be coming and going."  
  
"I will not have my child growing up torn between its father and its friends. Unless you plan on taking me with you when you leave."  
  
"Absolutely not."  
  
He wasn't angry or upset Isabel could tell he was simply stating a fact.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because you're safer here and as much as I want you with me, I want you safe more."  
  
"Then you have to at least act civil around the others." She said still holding her ground.  
  
"Fine I'll have dinner in the kitchen with everyone." Wesker said with an exasperated sigh.  
  
"Good." Isabel said as they started walking again.  
  
"Do you argue this much with everyone?"  
  
"No, only you. I don't think you've had enough people argue with you, but then again they were probably too afraid of you."  
  
Isabel heard him chuckle at her last statement. She had a sneaking suspicion dinner was going to be very interesting. Isabel only hoped it didn't turn into a disaster.  
  
By the time Carlos got into the house the monopoly game had been picked up and Rebecca was no where to be found. Walking into the living room he noticed that Claire and Leon had woken up and were watching the news.  
  
"Have you guys seen Becca?" he asked.  
  
"Yeah, she seemed pretty upset. She went upstairs." Leon replied.  
  
"Maybe I should go check on her."  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Just give her some time." Claire said noticing the guilty look on his face.  
  
Carlos wanted to talk to Rebecca, but not sure what to say he did as Claire suggested and took a seat in on of the arm chairs.  
  
The local news was just ending when Chris and Jill returned arms loaded with groceries.  
  
"You know you guys could help." Chris said when no one got up.  
  
"Nah, you guys look like you got it." Carlos said laughing.  
  
Chris gave him a look that could kill.  
  
"Well get off you lazy ass and help anyway." Jill said almost losing her grip on one of the paper bags.  
  
"As you wish my lady." Carlos said standing and giving her a regal bow.  
  
"Cut the bull and get the rest of the bags out of the car. All three of you." Chris said motioning his head towards the door.  
  
Claire and Leon reluctantly got off the couch and headed towards the door with Carlos.  
  
"See you got us all in trouble with your mouth." Claire said smacking the side of his arm as the walked towards the open trunk of the car.  
  
"That's probably why Rebecca's mad at you. You don't know when to shut up." Leon put in.  
  
Carlos didn't say another word while unloading the bags. He knew he'd catch hell from everyone if they knew what had happened and Carlos didn't feel like being lectured. He was beginning to realize he wanted more than just friendship from Rebecca. She was different from the women he usually favored. Sorry to say he was a walking cliché Carlos liked his women tall, blonde and built. Rebecca wasn't any of those things, but something in him wanted to be with her.  
  
Everyone was working to put away the groceries as Isabel and Wesker walked in the side door. Seeing everyone together Isabel felt a surge of protectiveness wash over her. She knew she would willingly die for these people and she believed they would do the same for her. After three years Isabel had found another family.  
  
"Okay what does everyone want for dinner?" Isabel asked going over to help put things away.  
  
As soon as Isabel asked the question she was sorry. She got four different answers. Jill said chicken, Chris wanted hamburgers, Claire said pizza, and Leon asked for pork chops. After a debating back and forth for awhile chicken won out.  
  
The dinner preparations were uneventful. Everyone but Isabel and Wesker hightailed it to the living room to watch T.V. while Isabel prepared the meal. They'd found out fast that while Isabel was cooking she didn't like too many people in the kitchen. Wesker sat in silence at the kitchen table watching her work.  
  
"Guys dinner is ready." Isabel said as she tried to reach for the serving platter that happened to be out of her reach.  
  
"Here let me get that." Wesker said from right beside her.  
  
Reaching up he easily grabbed the object that was just out of Isabel's reach. Handing her the platter Wesker was surprised when he was rewarded with a peck on the cheek for his efforts.  
  
"What was that for?" He asked amused.  
  
"Oh, for being my hero." Isabel replied with a smile.  
  
Turning back to the table Isabel blushed realizing everyone had seen their display.  
  
"Okay where's Rebecca?" Isabel asked noticing the young girl's absence.  
  
"She's up stairs. She's a little upset right now." Claire answered casting a glance at Carlos.  
  
Handing the plate back to Albert Isabel went to go check on her. Before she could take two steps Wesker had Isabel by the arm.  
  
"I'll go get her. Sit and eat." He said once again handing Isabel the plate and starting towards the door.  
  
Knocking on Rebecca's door Wesker couldn't believe he'd volunteered for this, but he was beginning to realize he'd do anything to make Isabel's life easier. When there was no answer to his knock Wesker spoke through the door.  
  
"Dinner is ready come down and eat."  
  
"I'm not hungry, I'll eat later." Rebecca's muffled voice replied.  
  
"Stop acting like a child and come out and eat." Wesker said finally losing his patience.  
  
"It's none of your business, just go and eat." She replied.  
  
"It is my business when it worries Isabel."  
  
Wesker hadn't realized that their voices had carried to the kitchen and everyone was now standing in the living room watching.  
  
"Why don't you just leave her alone?" Carlos said bounding up the stairs.  
  
Isabel worried something was going to happen followed close behind him. She had seen the look on his face and knew that what ever was wrong with Rebecca he blamed himself. So it stood to reason that he wouldn't let anyone else bully her right now.  
  
"Oliviera this is none of your business." Wesker said turning to look at him.  
  
"The hell it isn't, you can't come in here and bully people." Carlos said standing inches from Wesker's face.  
  
"If you know what's best for you, you'll step back."  
  
"Yeah, what are you going to do if I don't?"  
  
Isabel could tell Albert's patience was at its end. Stepping between them she realized too late Albert had already taken a swing at Carlos.  
  
Wesker barely registered that Isabel had stepped between them. He tried to pull the punch but it was too late. By the time it made contact with Isabel's jaw it had none of its original force but was still enough to knock her unconscious. All Wesker could do was watch in stunned disbelief as she fell back into Carlos who, stunned himself barely caught her.  
  
Wesker had never prayed in his life but all he could think was God let them be okay as he laid her gently on the couch. Running his hand over the angry red mark on Isabel's jaw, Wesker checked to make sure he hadn't broken anything. He hadn't intended to seriously hurt Oliviera, but he wasn't going to be spoken to like that. Wesker never expected Isabel to step in front of him and when he saw what she'd done he'd tried to stop, but it had been too late.  
  
Isabel was unconscious for only a brief time, but to those around her it felt like an eternity. When her eyes finally opened Isabel found herself staring into Albert's concerned face. Looking around the room she saw that everyone mirrored his expression.  
  
"Albert I'm so sorry." Isabel said sitting up.  
  
"You should be it was a stupid thing to do." Wesker answered back.  
  
Now that Wesker knew Isabel was okay anger had started to set in, quickly replacing his worry for her.  
  
"I know it was. I didn't want anyone to get hurt." She said looking at her lap.  
  
"Well you did. You ever do that again and I'll personally take you back to HCF."  
  
Isabel's head shot up at his threat. Getting off the couch and standing toe to toe with him hands on her hips she glared at him.  
  
"You bastard, you wouldn't dare." She said  
  
"Oh, wouldn't I." He replied looking down at her.  
  
"You try that and I'll make you regret it the short amount of time you live."  
  
She knew it was an empty threat, but she wasn't going to be told not to do what she felt was right.  
  
"Besides if you hadn't been and ass and gone off half cocked it wouldn't have happened."  
  
"Stubborn, pig headed woman." Wesker said turning to leave.  
  
"Where the hell are you going? We aren't done with this conversation." She yelled after him as he walked out the front door without another word.  
  
Isabel turned to look at the witnesses to their argument. Still angry she saw the concerned looks mixed with embarrassment at having seen them like that. Isabel could tell they didn't know what to say, most of them had never seen her angry and that made her even more so.  
  
"Instead of standing there like idiots, you could clean up the kitchen." She said before going back to her room, leaving the rest of the group standing there mouths agape. 


	10. chapter 10

Hiya, thought I would again thank everyone for their readership, and kind reviews. If you don't know or even care I kind of added some stuff to the little bio thingie. Well with that here's some more hope you enjoy.  
  
In the living room no one knew what to say or do. Isabel was usually so mild mannered no one would have thought she had it in her to stand up to a very angry Wesker. They definitely hadn't expected her to turn on them after he left.  
  
"Do you think he'll leave?" Claire asked breaking the silence.  
  
"It's a good possibility." Chris answered.  
  
"Should someone talk to him?" Leon asked.  
  
"Why Wesker's got a good point. It was stupid of her." Carlos chimed in.  
  
"Yeah, well Isabel did it to save your sorry ass." Chris snapped at him.  
  
"No more arguments tonight. I think we've had enough." Jill spoke up before Carlos could open his mouth again.  
  
"Leon's right someone should talk to him." She added after a moment.  
  
At that everyone in the room just looked at each other. No one really wanting to be the one to confront Wesker especially with the mood he was in. Chris did feel that Wesker had a valid point though. He couldn't imagine hurting Jill in any way especially if she were pregnant. Chris wasn't quite sure who he was angrier at Carlos for starting the whole damn thing, Wesker for losing his temper, or Isabel for trying to stop what was going to happen.  
  
"I'll go." Chris said knowing it had to be done.  
  
"Maybe that wouldn't be the best thing. I don't think he'd listen to you. I'll go." Jill said stopping him in his tracts.  
  
"Are you sure?" Chris asked looking at her.  
  
"Yeah, why not?" She answered shrugging her shoulders. "You guys go clean up the kitchen."  
  
As she walked out the door Jill had no idea what she was going to say to her former captain. She knew he'd tell her it was none of her business. After the display in the kitchen Jill knew Wesker loved Isabel and was kicking himself. First she had to find him because with his speed she knew Wesker could be miles away by now.  
  
"I'm right here Valentine." Wesker said from behind her on the porch.  
  
When she turned around to go back up the steps Jill saw Wesker tucked away in the far corner sitting with his backed propped against the house, his knees slightly bent with his feet flat on the floor.  
  
"To answer your question I'm not leaving. You can go back and tell everyone." He said never looking at her.  
  
"Do you want to talk?" Jill asked walking towards him.  
  
"No."  
  
Knowing that saying anything else would be a waste of words Jill turned and went back inside to help the others with the clean up. Upon entering the kitchen she was met with four pairs of eyes on her.  
  
"Well?" Chris said after a moment.  
  
"He isn't leaving, that's all he would say." Jill answered.  
  
Everyone except Claire seemed happy enough with Jill's answer that they all went back to putting the food away. Claire decided Wesker needed to hear a few things whether he wanted too or not. Walking past everyone, through the living room and out the front door, she found Wesker exactly were Jill had left him.  
  
"I already told Valentine, I'm not leaving her, you can go back inside." He stated before she could say a word.  
  
"Fine I'm happy, but I still have something to say." When Wesker didn't say anything she continued. "You need to tell Isabel that."  
  
As Claire finished her statement Wesker finally looked up at her.  
  
"Why she knows?"  
  
"Because, yes you physically hurt Isabel on accident, but your anger and threat hurt her more."  
  
"What? I don't have a right to be angry that she put herself and MY child in danger."  
  
"You have every right to that, but you have to realize Isabel isn't like you. She'll put someone else's well being before hers every time." Claire said sitting down cross legged in front of him.  
  
"Don't get me wrong I still don't like you, but I agree what she did was stupid. I just don't think you should have said what you did. Isabel already admitted she was wrong."  
  
"Thank you for your advice Redfield I'll take it under consideration." Wesker said once again staring out into the night.  
  
"Fine, whatever, just tell her." Claire said lifting herself off the ground and brushing off the back of her pants.  
  
Taking a final glance at Wesker before she went back inside Claire just shook her head and opened the front door.  
  
Isabel still very angry decided a long hot shower was the best thing. After a few moments she realized it wasn't helping so she turned off the water, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her. Looking into the mirror above the sink she saw a nice bruise forming where Albert had made contact. It was then a wave of dizziness washed over Isabel. She automatically grabbed the sink for support, it didn't last long and she figured she'd made the shower too hot.  
  
After changing into her night gown Isabel lay down on the bed, but still too angry to rest she started talking to her child.  
  
"Who the hell does your father think he is ordering me around like that?"  
  
As if answering the baby began to kick.  
  
"You think so too huh?" she said stroking her stomach, continuing her one sided conversation.  
  
"Your father can definitely be an ass, it's a good thing I love him or might have hit him back."  
  
Again as if answering the baby gave one final kick and settled down. At that moment there was a knock on the door.  
  
"I'm fine. I just want to be left alone right now." Isabel said as she heard the door open.  
  
Lying on her side, Isabel didn't bother to turn over to see who it was when she repeated.  
  
"I just want to be left in peace."  
  
"Are you sure?" Hearing Wesker's voice Isabel rolled over and sat on the edge of the bed. Albert was the last person she expected to be standing in her doorway.  
  
After Claire had gone back inside Wesker sat there trying to figure out what he was going to say to Isabel. He knew before Claire had come out that he shouldn't have threatened Isabel like that, but she'd scared him. Wesker had never been scared before not even in the mansion with all the creatures loose. All he could think about was what if he'd lost Isabel? What if she hadn't woken up? Yes Wesker worried about the baby, but not as much as Isabel. In the scheme of things she was much more important to him.  
  
Still not sure what to say Wesker had gotten up and gone to Isabel's room. Nearing the door he heard her speaking to someone. Thinking Isabel wasn't alone Wesker almost turned to leave, until he realized she was talking to the baby. Listening to Isabel through the door Wesker couldn't help but smile to himself.  
  
Walking further into the room Wesker closed the door behind him. For some reason he recalled the first time he'd come into this room. Isabel had been surprised to see him then also. Wesker almost smiled again at the memory until he saw the look on Isabel face.  
  
"Are you here to threaten me again?" she asked standing up as if readying herself for another fight.  
  
"No." He answered taking off his sunglasses.  
  
Isabel seemed to relax a little bit. She just stood there not saying anything, just waiting for what she assumed Albert was going to say next. When he was silent she spoke up.  
  
"Are you going to leave tonight or wait until morning?"  
  
"I'm not leaving tonight or tomorrow." Wesker said walking towards her.  
  
Isabel looked perplexed. Wesker knew now that she fully expected him to leave her. Did Isabel really doubt his love that much? Yes he'd been angry with her, but Wesker was angrier with himself and he would never leave her over a fight.  
  
"Isabel I'm sorry I should have never said those things. You have to realize I have never been afraid in my life, but I was terrified tonight. I was terrified I might loose you or the baby or even worse both."  
  
At Wesker's explanation Isabel relaxed totally. As she closed the distance between them he knew their argument was over. When Isabel was close enough Wesker put his arms around her and drew her close to him.  
  
"I would never do anything to purposely hurt you and that includes taking you back to HCF."  
  
"I know you wouldn't, but you have to realize I'm going to do what I feel is right... and I'll remember to duck next time I get in between you and someone." Isabel said smiling up at him.  
  
"There won't be a next time I promise." He replied releasing her.  
  
Isabel swayed slightly as another wave of dizziness came over her. She quickly grabbed Albert's arm to steady herself. Looking into his eyes Isabel saw a worried expression pass over his face before Albert could mask it.  
  
"I'll be okay I was just a little dizzy. It happened before too when I got out of the shower, but it went away." She said trying not to sound as worried as she was.  
  
Not saying a word Wesker picked Isabel up and carried her to the bed. Laying her down gently, he turned and walked briskly to the living room.  
  
"Chambers get down here now!" He yelled his voice filled with more panic than he would have liked.  
  
Hearing Wesker's voice filled with such fear Rebecca knew there was something wrong with Isabel. Rushing down stairs Rebecca knew she was correct when she saw the look on his face. Not asking questions she walked past him and headed directly to Isabel's bedroom. Rebecca had been so upset earlier she hadn't bothered to find out what the commotion was about, but now she had a good idea that it somehow involved Isabel.  
  
Isabel was frightened by the way Albert was acting. She knew he thought there was something seriously wrong she could tell.  
  
Rebecca came through the door with a forced smile on her face.  
  
"What's going on in..." Rebecca stopped mid-sentence seeing the bruise on Isabel's jaw.  
  
"What happened?" Rebecca asked rushing to the side of the bed.  
  
"I got in between Albert and Carlos and was accidentally nailed." Isabel replied trying to give her a reassuring smile. She didn't quite pull it off.  
  
"Who hit you?"  
  
"Does it really matter?" Isabel answered Rebecca's question with one of her own.  
  
Rebecca knew immediately that she'd been on the receiving end of one of Wesker's punches. At the time she'd been caught up with her own problems, now Rebecca knew she should have been there when she heard the commotion. Sitting next to Isabel on the bed she started asking questions.  
  
"How do you feel now?"  
  
"I feel fine, but I was dizzy twice earlier."  
  
"Okay, any nausea, headache, double vision?"  
  
"No, other than the dizziness I feel fine."  
  
"Are you sure, no cramping or bleeding?"  
  
"No." Isabel answered her eyes widening. "Do you really think it could be that serious?"  
  
"I'm not sure. To be truthful we are in uncharted territory right now. Wesker isn't exactly normal. I'm sure that carrying his child would probably take more out of you than a normal pregnancy. It could be just that combined with the stress from tonight." Rebecca said standing. "I'll be right back to examine you. I'm going to get some things."  
  
With that Rebecca walked past Wesker who'd been standing in the door the whole time listening silently. As she left the room he moved closer to the bed. What ever Wesker said was lost to Rebecca as she shut the door.  
  
Isabel could tell that Albert was more relaxed, which in turn helped relax her. She finally noticed that he had been in such a hurry to get Rebecca down here that he hadn't even put his sunglasses back on.  
  
"See everything is fine. I think I know what caused it. I haven't eaten anything since lunch. I bet my blood sugar just dropped." Isabel said succeeding this time in giving him a reassuring smile.  
  
Going around to the opposite side of the bed from where Rebecca had sat Wesker joined Isabel on the bed. Putting his arm around her and pulling her close so that her head rested on his shoulder he spoke.  
  
"Damn it Isabel."  
  
His words weren't angry, there was no fight in them, they were simply tired.  
  
"Albert I'm sorry, you know I seem to be saying that a lot to you tonight." She said snuggling into his warm body.  
  
They almost forgot that Rebecca would be back to examine Isabel until she walked in with her equipment. Seeing the couple on the bed together, both exhausted Rebecca felt responsible. She'd heard enough of what went on through the door to know that Carlos had started the argument because of her.  
  
Seeing Rebecca enter the room Wesker went to get off the bed and leave so Rebecca could examine Isabel in private.  
  
"You can stay, I'm not giving her a full examine I just wanted check her blood pressure and some other vitals." Rebecca said seeing he was about to leave.  
  
Looking at Isabel to see if it was alright Wesker repositioned himself at her nod.  
  
"She hasn't eaten anything since lunch." He told Rebecca as she began to take Isabel's pulse.  
  
"Isabel! No wonder you were dizzy your blood sugar bottomed out." Rebecca scolded as she proceeded with the rest of the mini-exam.  
  
It didn't take long for Rebecca to finish the exam. She seemed please with the results.  
  
"Well you seem to be okay, your blood pressure is a little high, but I expected that." Rebecca told her putting everything away.  
  
Rebecca watched the couple interact for a few minutes before gathering up the rest of her things. It intrigued her to see Wesker act the way he did with Isabel. To see such a ruthless man act so gentle and caring gave her hope for the rest of them.  
  
"I'm going to bring you in something to eat and your going to stay in bed for the next few days." She said looking at Isabel.  
  
"You have no idea how thrilled I am about that." Isabel said rolling her eyes.  
  
Wesker had a hard time stifling a laugh at her reaction to Rebecca's news. He understood why she hated staying in bed so much. That's all she'd done in the facility. Wesker knew this was going to be an interesting few days.  
  
Taking one last look at the two on the bed Rebecca went to the kitchen to fix Isabel something to eat. While heating some soup on the stove Rebecca realized Wesker probably hadn't eaten either. Knowing Isabel had fixed a big meal and there were probably leftovers she searched the refrigerator. After a few minutes Rebecca found the chicken along with some mashed potatoes and corn which she re-heated in the microwave. Placing everything on a tray along with two glasses of milk Rebecca took everything back to Isabel's room. When she walked through the door Isabel looked like she was about to drift off to sleep. Wesker on the other hand was wide awake and watching Isabel intently.  
  
Isabel seeing Rebecca walk through the door sat up and waited for her to bring the tray over.  
  
"I don't think I can eat all that." Isabel said when she saw all the food on the tray.  
  
"The soup is for you the rest is for cap-um Wesker." Rebecca said catching herself on the captain.  
  
Isabel smiled at the fact that Rebecca had almost called Albert captain. She knew he didn't like to be reminded at all that he was once Rebecca's captain. Isabel also knew it was because Albert felt he'd failed his mission by them surviving. He didn't like failure, especially in himself and Albert was becoming annoyed at Rebecca's reminder.  
  
"Thanks Becca." Isabel said before Wesker could say anything.  
  
"Your welcome, I'll just leave you guys to rest." Rebecca said as she walked out the door. 


	11. Chapter 11

Okay I think I need to say this I don't own the Care Bears ( You'll see why) and I don't own any rights to the movie In and Out. Other than that hope you enjoy.  
  
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Walking into the living room Rebecca realized she too was hungry. Going to the kitchen she fixed herself a plate of chicken and when the microwave went off she pulled the plate out being careful not to burn herself. Rebecca sat at the kitchen table and that's when she saw the note:  
  
Becca,  
Gone to the movies, didn't think you'd  
want to go. Be back later.  
Chris and the gang  
  
"Well that explains why no one else came down when Wesker called." She said out loud to herself.  
  
As Rebecca finished her meal and began to clean up she heard the front door open. Chris and Carlos were apparently debating the movie they had just seen. Carlos was laughing at a remark Chris made. Rebecca liked hearing him laugh it seemed so rich and full of life. It was one of the things that she found irresistible about Carlos. Rebecca just wished he was more interested in her than he was. Things couldn't stay the way they were, she knew that much. I'm going to have to leave. I can't stay here not like this. She made up her mind, after Isabel had the baby Rebecca knew she had to leave. Greeting everyone with a smile she walked into the living room.  
  
"How was the movie guys?" she asked purposely not looking at Carlos.  
  
"It was okay, Jill got to pick. We ended up see In and Out." Chris said rolling his eyes.  
  
"So I'm going to take it there were no explosions in it then."  
  
"Not really. He replied.  
  
"Have you heard anything from Isabel and Wesker?" Jill asked yawning.  
  
"Yeah, he had me look her over, she's fine." Rebecca answered.  
  
Rebecca didn't see any need to worry the group and Isabel wouldn't be happy if she told them anyway.  
  
"Are they talking to each other? They had a big fight, threats and all." Claire asked looking a little worried.  
  
"They seemed to have made up, last I saw them Isabel was almost asleep and using him for a pillow."  
  
"Well that's good, sort of." Chris spoke up from next to the coat rack where he was hanging up his jacket and baseball cap.  
  
Everyone else seemed to be relieved that things seemed to have settled between them as much as everyone disliked Wesker, Isabel needed him. The house was still filled with tension though and everyone felt it. They all knew that it had to do with Carlos and Rebecca.  
  
"I'm going to bed guys." Rebecca said still not looking at Carlos.  
  
"Yeah me too." Claire said walking to the stairs.  
  
"That sounds good." Chris said following suite.  
  
It was the general consensus from the rest of the group that the day was over as they all filed upstairs and readied themselves for bed.  
  
Rebecca tossed and turned for two hours before she finally got up and went to the living room. Putting on the television she made sure the volume was low enough as not to disturb anyone. There Rebecca sat on the couch watching late night television. She thought that once she'd made the decision to leave that everything would be easier. Instead Rebecca still couldn't sleep. She was sad that she had to leave her friends, but Rebecca needed to deal with her feelings before she did something really stupid. Rebecca just hoped she could make it through the next five months. Of course with all the studying she'd been doing about pregnancies and delivery she was beginning to think Isabel might not make it that long. She was definitely bigger than she should be for four and a half months. Rebecca hadn't said anything about it to her because she didn't wasn't to worry Isabel, but Rebecca was contemplating speaking to Wesker about it.  
  
Lying in bed Carlos heard a door open in the hallway and footsteps going down stairs. Figuring someone else was having trouble sleeping he got up to keep them company. As he walked down the stairs Carlos realized it was Rebecca and almost turned around and went back to his room. Seeing the tired expression on her face stopped Carlos. Rebecca needed to sleep and since she seemed to do pretty well sleeping in his arms he decided to take her back upstairs with him.  
  
"That's going to give you nightmares." Carlos said walking up to the back of the couch.  
  
Rebecca turned around in surprise upon hearing Carlos' voice.  
  
"It's Care Bears, how will that give me nightmares?" She asked.  
  
"Fine when you have nightmares about pastel bears trying to hug you to death don't come running to me." Carlos said smiling.  
  
Rebecca forgot herself for a moment and laughed at the absurd mental image.  
  
"You need to get some rest." Carlos said sobering.  
  
"I'm fine." She answered all traces of laughter gone.  
  
"No you aren't you look exhausted."  
  
"I'll be okay." She said stubbornly.  
  
"Come on I'll tuck you in." He wasn't going to let it rest.  
  
"I said I'm fine, why won't you believe me?" Rebecca said irritation creeping over her.  
  
"Because you're my friend and I care about you, and I know you're lying." Carlos hadn't realized how much he cared about her until he had spoken it.  
  
"So the way I see it you have two choices. You can come upstairs with me on your own or I can carry you up." He finished.  
  
"Well your going to have to carry me, because I plan on staying right here."  
  
Rebecca was trying to hold her ground, but she knew that Carlos would have no problem carrying her. She didn't put much past him anymore.  
  
"Fine have it your way." Carlos said walking around the couch.  
  
Rebecca half expected Carlos to pick her up the way he had before, but he didn't. Placing an arm under her legs and the other around her back he easily lifted Rebecca off the couch. Letting Carlos carry her up stairs she didn't fight at all. As much as Rebecca knew she shouldn't let this happen she wanted to be near him more. She was surprised when Carlos walked past her bedroom door and as quiet as possible opened his. Walking past the bed that Leon occupied Carlos placed Rebecca on his.  
  
"I thought..." She started to say when Carlos put his index finger to his lips and made a shh sound.  
  
Rebecca thought he was simply going to "tuck her in". She hadn't expected him to bring her to his bed.  
  
Silently Carlos motioned for her to scoot over. Without even thinking she made room for him on the bed. As he slipped into bed next to Rebecca, Carlos kissed her on the top of the head whispering.  
  
"Get some sleep, good night."  
  
Torn between trying to sneak away after Carlos fell asleep and staying close to him, Rebecca knew she wasn't strong enough to leave. Laying back and closing her eyes Rebecca almost immediately fell asleep.  
  
She was in the training facility again, it was cold as it had been when they had arrived and the smell of rotting meat filled the air. Everything was exactly the same as the last time Rebecca had been in the main hall. The picture of Dr. Marcus was hung on the landing of the steps in front of her. The statue of the woman holding the scales stood on the landing above that. The candle flames flickered as she walked past. The ornate surroundings hadn't diminished in her memory one bit. There on the landing in front of the portrait was Billy. He was bleeding from a wound on his shoulder and he was calling to her, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. There was a sound of footsteps behind her and she turned, gun ready, to see who they belonged to but there was no one. When she turned back around to help Billy he was no longer there, in his place was Carlos. Rebecca called out to him, but he didn't answer. He started walking towards her with the unsteady gate of a carrier, she knew then what she had to do. Rebecca raised her gun when Carlos was a few feet in front of her, but looking into his once handsome face she hesitated and he grabbed her trying to bite. Rebecca fought with all her might, but then he was gone and she was falling into darkness. Suddenly she wasn't falling anymore, she was being held by two strong arms. Looking up Rebecca saw that it was Carlos and he was normal again. After looking down at her a few minutes he spoke.  
  
"Becca wake up your having a nightmare."  
  
When Rebecca opened her eyes she was staring directly into Carlos' brown ones. She could see concern in them and it made her feel bad that she worried him. Reaching out to touch his face to make sure this wasn't another dream. Carlos took her off guard by gently kissing her finger tips.  
  
"Same dream as before?" He asked in a hushed tone so he didn't wake Leon.  
  
"Yes and No." She replied her voice level matching his.  
  
"Want to tell me about it?"  
  
"I will tomorrow, right now I'd like to go back to sleep if you don't mind me sleeping in your arms like this." She said yawning.  
  
"Of course not." He replied pulling her even closer to him.  
  
In that moment Rebecca felt as if she were the safest person in the world and it helped her fall back into a dreamless sleep  
  
Carlos was being shaken awake. At first he thought Rebecca had another nightmare, but when he opened his eyes he saw she was sleeping soundly snuggled so close to him you couldn't have fit a sheet of paper between them. Turning over as much as he could while still holding her, Carlos saw that it was Leon who had awakened him and he didn't look happy.  
  
"We need to talk. Now!" Leon said looking at Rebecca.  
  
Nodding his head Carlos gently eased Rebecca off his left arm. She gave an unhappy moan and rolled over apparently still asleep. Carefully getting off the bed so not to wake her Carlos followed Leon out into the hallway. When Carlos had quietly closed the door Leon spoke.  
  
"What the hell do you think your doing?"  
  
"Huh?" Was all Carlos could say being half asleep and not expecting this.  
  
"That kid's got a big enough crush on you as it is. You doing stuff like that only serves to confuse her more. You'll just end up hurting her. Leon said continuing with his rant.  
  
Carlos started to defend his actions when what Leon said finally sunk in.  
  
"Crush? Really?" He asked stunned.  
  
"Damn you're dense, everyone in the house knows about it. Where have you been for the last twelve months?" Leon said shaking his head in disbelief.  
  
"She's just a kid, she doesn't know which way is up when it comes to men. He continued.  
  
"Yeah and Claire is so much older." Carlos spat back his voice laced with sarcasm. In his opinion Leon had no room to talk. Looking Carlos straight in the eye and not even pausing for a moment he answered him.  
  
"Yes, but I'm in love with Claire and she knows it. Can you say the same thing about Rebecca?"  
  
Leon stated his love for Claire with such conviction and certainty Carlos was stunned. He knew that they were close, but he had no idea that their feelings ran that deep. It was amazing how you could live in the same house with people and not really know them at all. Could I feel that way about Rebecca? He asked himself. Carlos was beginning to think that given time he could.  
  
Leon stood there silently waiting for a reply. Carlos was just staring at him as if he didn't know what to say. He liked Rebecca it was hard not to. She always seemed to have a good outlook on things and she was never impatient with anyone. Leon also liked Carlos he was a good guy, but he seemed to flirt with every female alive and Leon didn't want to see Rebecca get hurt by him. He figured it was better that he talk to Carlos instead of Chris. Chris would just end up threatening him and Carlos being just as hot headed as Chris would probably start a fight.  
  
"I don't know, I think I could at some point." Carlos finally replied.  
  
"Are you serious? Because if your not..." Leon started.  
  
"I am, I didn't realize it until recently but I think I may be falling for her. Carlos cut in.  
  
"If you're sure about that then you need to tell Rebecca."  
  
"Tell Rebecca what?" Rebecca said from behind Leon.  
  
When Rebecca saw the look on both of their faces it reminded her of kids being caught in the cookie jar. She just couldn't figure out why the looked so guilty.  
  
"I'm going to leave you two to talk." Leon said going down stairs.  
  
Standing in the hallway Carlos and Rebecca just stared at each other neither one knowing what to say. It was Carlos that finally broke the silence.  
  
"I need to tell you where I stand."  
  
"Carlos, I know we're just friends and that you're just trying to help me with my nightmares. I also know that you're just kidding when you do things like yesterday." She said blushing at the thought of the kiss.  
  
"Rebecca would you just shut up a minute?" He said with a sigh.  
"No, let me finish. After Isabel has the baby I'm going to move out. That way you don't have to worry I'll get the wrong impression."  
  
"Why? You already have the wrong impression." He said his voice filled with anger.  
  
"Why are you so angry? I'm just trying to keep our friendship."  
  
"What if I don't want to keep our friendship?" He asked stepping towards her.  
  
Before Carlos knew what he was doing he had Rebecca in his arms and was kissing her. To his surprise and relief she was kissing him back. When it ended Rebecca just stared at him wide eyed as if asking what was going to happen next. To be truthful Carlos didn't know, he was only sure that he couldn't let her leave.  
  
"I don't want you to leave and I don't want to be just friends anymore. I'm not sure but I think I may be falling for you." Carlos told her not able to look her in the eye, afraid of what he might see there.  
  
Rebecca thought she was hearing things or worse yet she was still dreaming. She never thought she'd hear Carlos say those things, to her at least. Placing a hand on each side of his face forcing him to look her in the eyes Rebecca asked the first thing that came to mind.  
  
"Are you sure, I'm not..."  
  
Carlos silenced her with a finger to her lips.  
  
"Your not my usual type I know, but to me you are the most beautiful woman in this house," and with that he kissed her again.  
  
Rebecca felt as if she were in a dream. She had a crush on Carlos from the first time she'd met him, but now she knew that it was more. Maybe not love, but and intense liking and who knew maybe one day it would be even more on both their parts.  
  
"You know we should probably shower and get dressed." Carlos said still holding her after the kiss ended.  
  
"Hmm, your shower or mine?" She asked trying not to blush and ruin her joke.  
  
For only the second time since she'd known him Carlos was speechless. He almost had a look of sheer terror on his face.  
  
"I um, well um, I was planning on taking things a little more slowly than that." He replied turning beet red.  
  
What the hell is wrong with me? Was all he could think. Carlos had women be this forward before and had no problem taking them up on their offer. Why was he turning into a babbling idiot now? The answer came to him fairly quickly. Because you want it to be different with her.  
  
Rebecca seeing the stunned look on his face knew she went too far.  
  
"It was just a joke Carlos, I'm sorry." She said putting her arms around his neck and giving him a peck on the cheek.  
  
"Man you really need to shave." She finished giving him a slight laugh.  
  
Carlos couldn't believe it she had finally bested him and he was proud of her for it.  
  
"Go take your shower, I'll see you down stairs for breakfast." He said heading for his room.  
  
"Carlos"  
  
"Yes"  
  
"How fast do you want to take this?" She asked seriously form her doorway.  
  
"As slow as you need to." He answered flashing a smile and walking into his room. 


	12. chapter 12

Hiya again and as before I do not own any rights to the movie In and Out. Having said that I hope that I haven't lost anyone's interest in the story and I would like to thank those who have given such nice reviews although Mr. or Ms. Zarbok really has my curiosity up. I mean it seems that they like the story but they don't say much. So me being nosy was just wondering what they do like about it. If they care to enlighten me that is if not still glad you enjoy it.  
  
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Entering the kitchen Carlos found Rebecca had beaten him down. Walking over to where she stood at the sink, he tapped her on the shoulder.  
  
"Better?" He said sticking his chin out for inspection.  
  
Lifting her hand to his face and running it over his jaw she gave a nod and said.  
  
"Much better."  
  
"Sorry to interrupt you're mating ritual, but I'm getting Isabel something to eat." Wesker said from the door way.  
  
"Your one to talk, at least I don't have my pregnant girlfriend in the back bedroom." Rebecca stated smiling at him.  
  
Wesker just gave a curt nod and started preparing breakfast for Isabel. Carlos just stood there not believing the man who nearly took his head off last night let her talk to him that way. Leon who had been sitting at the kitchen table was trying his damnedest not to laugh and failing miserably.  
  
"Sir, I do need to speak with you after you're done." Rebecca stated her smile fading.  
  
"First of all don't call me sir and second just tell me now." He replied not looking up from what he was doing.  
  
"I would rather speak to you in private. It's nothing to serious, but we do need to speak." She said making sure he understood she wasn't worried.  
  
Wesker gave another small nod and finished Isabel's breakfast. He knew it was important for her to come to him, but Wesker couldn't understand why Chambers was being so secretive. Unless she didn't want Isabel to know and was afraid someone would let it slip out.  
  
"I'm going to see what Claire is doing." Leon stated getting up from the table and leaving the room.  
  
It was a few minutes before Carlos and Rebecca were alone in the kitchen. When Wesker finally Left Rebecca knew it was time to tell Carlos about the dream. She was kind of embarrassed about it after everything that happened this morning, but Rebecca had promised she would tell him.  
  
"Carlos do you still want to know about the dream?" she asked sitting next to him at the table.  
  
"Of course I do." He answered giving her his full attention.  
  
"It was pretty much the same dream. Billy and I were at the training facility and he was hurt. There was a noise behind me and when I turned to look there was no one there. When I turn back around it isn't Billy anymore."  
  
"Who was it?"  
  
"It was you, but you were one of those things and you came after me. I went to shoot you but couldn't. Then you grabbed me and I was falling. Then it stopped and I was being held, I looked up and you were the one holding me."  
  
Carlos didn't know what to make of her dream. He knew she felt guilty about leaving Billy so that much made sense. What he didn't get was why Billy turned into him. Carlos would never do anything to hurt Rebecca even if he didn't feel the way he did right now he would have never let anything hurt her.  
  
"This is the first time you've had this particular dream?" He asked.  
  
"Yes, usually it's just Billy."  
  
"Becca I would never hurt you." He said looking into her eyes.  
  
"I know you wouldn't, I think that's why in the end you're the one holding and protecting me."  
  
"See I knew you were dreaming about me." Carlos said smiling, trying to lighten the mood a little.  
  
"Oh please." She replied rolling her eyes.  
  
Carlos wasn't sure where to go from here. He wanted to get to know Rebecca more. Carlos knew the basic stuff like her favorite ice cream or movie, but they had never really talked about anything more in-depth. Carlos decide the best way to accomplish this was to start at the beginning. To treat Rebecca like someone he would meet out in public.  
  
"Becca would you want to go see a movie with me tonight?"  
  
"You mean like a date?" She asked trying to figure out where he was coming from.  
  
"Yes, exactly like a date. So what do you say?"  
  
"What movie do you have in mind?" she asked eyeing him suspiciously.  
  
"Anything you want to see."  
  
"Well In and Out did sound kind of funny."  
  
"You wouldn't."  
  
"Oh, but I would."  
  
"Alright we'll go see that one. You know you better be glad I like you." He said leaning over to kiss her on the cheek.  
  
"If you two are going to persist in doing that kind of thing I suggest you get a room." Wesker said dryly once again appearing in the kitchen door.  
  
Rebecca didn't answer him back this time she simply stuck her tongue out at him. Carlos was again amazed when he allowed her to do so with no repercussions.  
  
"You wanted to talk to me in private I believe." Wesker continued.  
  
"Yeah, let's go out on the porch." She answered.  
  
Wesker silently followed Rebecca to the living room, where she grabbed her coat from the coat rack. Walking outside Rebecca noticed that Wesker hadn't put a coat on. The cold didn't seem to affect him in anyway though so she just shrugged off the brief worry she felt. Once the front door was shut securely she spoke.  
  
"Like I said before I don't think it's anything serious, but I don't think Isabel will go full term with her pregnancy."  
  
"How can that not be serious?" He asked clearly upset.  
  
"Hold on a minute, let me finish. What I meant was she won't go what we consider normal full term, but for her it will be."  
  
"Explain."  
  
"With all the research I've been doing about this matter, I've come to the conclusion that she's bigger than she should be for where she is in the pregnancy. Also the baby seems to be more active then it should be. Isabel shouldn't be able to feel it move yet."  
  
"Have you told her?"  
  
"No I wanted to talk to you first."  
  
"How long do you think she'll go?"  
  
"I think seven maybe eight months but that's pushing it. I was going to say something to her today. Isabel needs to know."  
  
"Of course. I want to be there when you do."  
  
"Good you need to be."  
  
So he was going to be a father sooner than Wesker expected. It made sense Rebecca was right when she told Isabel they were in uncharted territory. It hit Wesker suddenly that if he had succeeded in killing them when he'd tried how differently things would be. For the first time since he'd been here Wesker wasn't filled with the incessant annoyance that he felt being around his one and only failure.  
  
Rebecca wasn't sure what he was thinking. All in all he took the news pretty well. At least that's how she took it. Wesker was extremely hard to read seeming emotionless most of the time. Isabel seemed to be the only one who could read him a hundred percent of the time. The only time Rebecca could read him was when it had to do with the baby or Isabel.  
  
"I was going into to talk to her right now." Rebecca said heading back inside.  
  
After replacing her coat she headed straight for Isabel's room. As Rebecca and Wesker walked into the bedroom they were greeted with the sight of Isabel propped up against the head board of the bed with what must have been every pillow in the room behind and around her. Carlos was also there propped up right next to her almost mirroring her position.  
  
"Carlos it wasn't just your fault, we all had a part in it. There is nothing to forgive. Just take good care of Becca.  
  
"How did you know?" He asked sitting up straighter and looking at her.  
  
"It's written all over you. It wasn't hard to figure out. Just don't get her pregnant too soon. I don't think we could handle two babies at once around here. Isabel said smiling at her own joke.  
  
"ISABEL!" Rebecca exclaimed.  
  
"What? I was just stating a fact." She said her smile widening as the young girl started to blush.  
  
Looking at Carlos she could see he was turning a nice shade of red also.  
  
"What? Everyone can joke but me." She said still smiling.  
  
"Alright Carlos I need you to leave. We need to talk to Isabel." Rebecca said not being able to help but smile at him.  
  
Getting out off the bed Carlos leaned over and gave Isabel a kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Take it easy, k." He said walking out of the room.  
  
Isabel sobered immediately once he was gone. She tried to prepare herself for the worst, not knowing why they looked so serious.  
  
"What's wrong?" She asked looking from Albert to Rebecca.  
  
"Nothings wrong." Rebecca said going over and sitting on the bed next to Isabel. "I've been doing some research and I think the baby's bigger than it should be. You've said yourself that it's been very active, which you shouldn't be able to feel yet. I told Wesker and he agreed that you should know, I don't think you'll go a full nine months. As I told him it will probably be more like seven or eight instead."  
  
"What does that mean? Will she be alright being born so early?" Isabel asked near panic.  
  
"Listen to me Isabel, the baby will be fine. For our child it will be full term. Wesker said stepping in and putting a hand on each side of her face turning her to look at him.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes, we only told you so you wouldn't panic when you go into labor a few months early." He replied kissing her on the forehead.  
  
Isabel had been afraid when they had walked in so serious. She hadn't known what to expect, but if Rebecca and Albert were sure that it would be normal in her case she believed them. Isabel just hoped it wouldn't keep her in bed any longer.  
  
"I can still get off of bed rest in a couple of days right?" She asked looking at Rebecca.  
  
"In a few days we'll see how your doing and go from there. Just take these couple of days to relax and if you get bored I'll send a few of the guys in to keep you company." Rebecca replied patting her on the arm.  
  
It wasn't exactly what Isabel wanted to hear, but it was better than hearing she would have to stay in bed the next couple of months.  
  
"Albert, can I have a few minutes with Rebecca?"  
  
Seeing the questioning look on his face she explained.  
  
"I just want to have a little girl talk, nothing you would want to listen too." She said smiling at him.  
  
Wesker gave a nod and walked to the kitchen to get himself something to eat. He'd been more worried about getting Isabel food this morning than himself.  
  
Rebecca wondered what Isabel wanted to talk about. Could it be something about Isabel and Wesker? She just had no idea until Isabel spoke.  
  
"So what's going on with you and Carlos?" She asked.  
  
"I'm not sure. We are going on a date tonight." Rebecca replied blushing.  
  
"Well it's about time. I mean you've had a crush on him at least since I've been here, probably longer."  
  
"That obvious huh?"  
  
"Not to everyone." Isabel replied truthfully.  
  
Everyone but Carlos knew. She didn't think Rebecca needed to know that though.  
  
"Of course it will probably be a total disaster." Rebecca continued.  
  
"It won't be. You'll see everything will turn out fine."  
  
Isabel and Rebecca talked for a half hour before Wesker came back in to check on Isabel. Rebecca knew he felt Isabel needed to rest or he wouldn't have come back in. Rebecca picked herself off the bed and went to see what everyone else was doing.  
  
When Rebecca was gone Isabel got out of bed to stretch. It felt good not to be sitting there doing nothing. This was going to be a long couple of days she could tell already.  
  
"What do you think your doing?" Wesker asked when she didn't immediately get back into bed.  
  
"I was going to take a shower and get dressed." She said walking towards the bathroom.  
  
Wesker beat her there and planted himself right in front of her, not allowing her access to the room.  
  
"No, you aren't. You can have a bath, but you aren't to be on your feet."  
  
"I don't want a bath, it will only take me ten minutes and then I'll be back in bed. I promise."  
  
"It's a bath or nothing. I'll put you straight back in bed." He replied crossing his arms in front of his chest.  
  
"Besides I thought women loved baths."  
  
"Well I'm not most women. Now am I?"  
  
The truth was a bath sounded great, but Isabel knew once she was in she wouldn't be able to get back out. Well she couldn't get back out by herself. Isabel didn't know why she was so embarrassed about this but it was hard not to be able to do simple things for herself anymore.  
  
"No, you aren't," he agreed. "But you still only have two choices bath or bed."  
  
"Fine I'll take a bath but don't leave the bedroom."  
  
"Why?" He asked perplexed.  
  
"Just don't okay."  
  
"Alright" He said stepping out of her way allowing her access to the bathroom.  
  
Once the tub was filled Isabel stepped into the warm water. As she sat down and the water washed over her, and Isabel felt she was in heaven. Sitting back and really relaxing for the first time in a few days, Isabel wondered just how long she could sit here before Albert broke the door down and made her get out.  
  
Sitting on the bed Wesker was still trying to figure the whole don't leave the bedroom thing out. Sometimes he got the impression Isabel took the opposite stance to what ever he said for no good reason other than to be obstinate. Lying back Wesker closed his eyes to rest a bit, he hadn't slept last night at all. He stayed awake just watching Isabel as she slept curled up next to him. After a few minutes Wesker allowed himself to drift into a light sleep.  
  
Isabel sat day dreaming about life with Albert and the baby until the water had cooled down considerably before she started to wash up. By the time Isabel was done she started to wonder why Albert hadn't come bursting in declaring she'd been in there long enough. Trying to get out of the tub once before calling Albert in to help, Isabel couldn't find a position that would let her get up on her own. Sitting back in her original spot for a couple of minutes, hating what she was about to do Isabel called for Albert.  
  
"Albert." She kept her voice even so he would know nothing was wrong.  
  
At the sound of his name Wesker awoke and went over to the bathroom door. Wondering what was going on he answered.  
  
"Yes, what do you need?"  
  
Isabel had expected Albert to just come in, not ask her what she wanted through the door. Leave it to him to be a gentleman when that's not what she needed.  
  
"Would you please come in here?" She answered.  
  
That was the last thing Wesker expected to hear from Isabel. He wondered what she had up her sleeve, but he opened the door and stepped in. It was a few degrees warmer in the bathroom and slightly steamy. There in the bathtub Isabel sat a slight frown on her face.  
  
"What's wrong?" He asked  
  
"I can't get up on my own, your going to have to help me. That's why I didn't want to take a bath."  
  
Wesker couldn't help but smile at her. He knew by the look on her face she hated this. Going over to where she sat he took Isabel by both elbows and effortlessly helped her to her feet.  
  
"Why didn't you just tell me?" He asked once she was on dry land again.  
  
"It's embarrassing." She replied reaching for a towel that hung on the wall next to her.  
  
Once she had the towel securely wrapped around her, Isabel noticed that during the process of helping her out of the tub, Albert's shirt had been drenched. Not thinking she reached for the buttons on his shirt.  
  
"Your soaked we should get you out of this shirt." Isabel said concentrating on what she was doing and not paying attention to the look on Albert's face.  
  
"Maybe not the best idea." He said stilling her hands with his.  
  
They stood that way just staring at each other for what seemed an endless moment before Wesker reached out with his right hand and grabbing the edge of the towel where it was tucked and pulled it loose. Still holding the towel in one hand he let go of her hands and stepped back trying to take in every inch of her naked body. Blushing at Albert's intense gaze Isabel reached for the towel to once again cover herself.  
  
"Don't, I want to see every part of the beautiful woman I love." He said, instantly stilling her movement.  
  
Looking down at her stomach and then looking back up into his eyes she finally spoke.  
  
"Yeah, some beauty, I'm four and a half months pregnant and can't even see my feet anymore."  
  
"You are more beautiful now than the day I met you, because you are four and a half months pregnant and can't see your feet. Your having my child, that makes you very beautiful to me."  
  
"Are you always so charming?" Isabel asked, a little less self conscious than she was before.  
  
"Hmm, only with you." He said taking her hand and leading her to bed.  
  
Re-arranging the pillows so that she could lay down, Wesker made sure she was comfortable under the covers before unbuttoning the rest of his shirt and taking it off. Watching him from the bed Isabel couldn't help but wonder what he had planned.  
  
Going over to the dresser Wesker opened the drawer Isabel had cleaned out for his things and pulled out a black T-shirt and put it on. Turning back around and walking to the bed he saw the disappointed look on her face.  
  
"You're still on bed rest." He offered as an explanation, crawling into bed beside her.  
  
Isabel had no idea how much restraint it was taking for Wesker not to strip, get under the covers and make love to her. To him it was simply to risky a thing to indulge in right now. Wesker wasn't about to risk hurting her or the baby.  
  
"You need to take a nap." He said pulling her close and kissing her forehead.  
  
"Yes sir, captain Wesker." She said, once again snuggling into him. Isabel seemed to have found a favorite spot.  
  
Looking down at her Wesker just shook his head, wondering if Isabel knew how much she meant to him. His mother had never remarried after his father's death. She had never gotten over it. As a child growing up and even as an adult Wesker had never understood why. That kind of love was a concept he had never been able to wrap his mind around. Now Wesker understood that's because it had nothing to do with the mind. Isabel wasn't the only one in uncharted territory right now. Somehow along the line he'd joined her, Wesker only knew one thing for sure at this point whatever happened they would get through this together. Closing his eyes and holding Isabel even tighter to him, Wesker drifted into a deep sleep for the first time in years. 


	13. chapter 13

Leon stared at the computer screen not sure if he was reading the information correctly. If he was Wesker was not going to be happy. Getting up from his seat he knew the information couldn't wait. Walking down stairs and heading directly to Isabel's room, Leon gave a light knock and waited for someone to answer the door. After a few minutes he was greeted by Wesker.  
  
"She's sleeping right now." Wesker said looking over his shoulder to where Isabel lay asleep on the bed.  
  
Leon followed his gaze and saw to his immense discomfort that she was indeed asleep and from the bare shoulder sticking out of the covers completely naked.  
  
"Hey what you guys do is your business." He said looking back at Wesker, turning slightly pink.  
  
Wesker's expression didn't change in the slightest. He was as cool and calm as ever. Leon had to give it to the man, he didn't embarrass easy.  
  
"You can come back later." Wesker replied ignoring Leon's comment.  
  
"Sir, I came to get you. I've found something you need to see."  
  
Knowing it must be important Wesker silently motioned for Leon to lead the way. Neither one spoke as they climbed the stairs to Leon's room. Entering the bedroom Leon motioned for Wesker to have a seat at the computer.  
  
"I think you need to read this." Leon said pointing to the screen.  
  
"You're in the HCF data base." Wesker said slightly impressed. In his opinion Kennedy must be a half way competent hacker to break through the security for the system.  
  
"Yeah, I've been trying to get into it since Isabel arrived. Rebecca wanted to get her files to see her medical history."  
  
"That's why you brought me up here? I've already read her file."  
  
"No I brought you up here because of this." Leon said again pointing to the screen. "When I typed in Landen three names popped up. Isabel, James, which is her father right, and Denise, that's the one that interested me. Why would they have a file on her mother unless she was at the facility? You need to read her file."  
  
What Leon said made sense why would they have a file on Isabel's mother and why hadn't he seen it? Wesker waited until Leon took a seat on one to the two beds that occupied the room before he started to read. It took Wesker ten minutes to read the whole file and a few more to digest the information that had just been handed him.  
  
"Get Chambers in here." Wesker ordered.  
  
From Wesker's reaction Leon knew he had been right about his interpretation, Wesker was definitely not happy. With out a word he went to find Rebecca. It took him five minutes to find her. Rebecca ended up being in the basement doing laundry.  
  
"Rebecca, I've got something you need to see." Leon said walking down the narrow wooden steps.  
  
"Can it wait a minute?" I'm right in the middle of this." She replied not looking up from the clothes she was folding.  
  
"No, it's important. It's about Isabel."  
  
"What? Is she having dizzy spells again?" Rebecca asked her head shooting up.  
  
"No... What, She's having dizzy spells?" Leon asked concerned.  
  
"She's fine. She had a couple yesterday that's why she's on bed rest. We figured out it had to do with her not eating."  
  
"Are you sure, who knows about this?"  
  
"Yes I'm sure and you're the only one so don't open your mouth okay. Now, what is it about then?"  
  
"I got into HCF's data base there's a file Wesker wants you to see."  
  
Rebecca nodded her head and followed Leon upstairs. When she and Leon walked into the room Wesker was standing by the desk arms folded across his chest waiting for her. Going over to the vacant desk chair Rebecca sat and began to read. When she was finished she looked at Wesker with a shocked expression on her face.  
  
"This is Isabel's mother." It wasn't a question.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Her father..."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Guys could someone explain to me what exactly is going on? I mean I read some of it and it looks like her mother was on some type of medication." Leon spoke.  
  
Rebecca turned and looked at Leon as if she had forgotten he was in the room. She didn't speak right away, trying to figure out how to explain everything as simply as possible.  
  
"It isn't just that Leon. From what it says in the files Isabel's father experimented on her mother."  
  
"What?" Leon asked.  
  
"It's worse than that, from what it says here he did so while she was pregnant with Isabel. He gave her something code named MB223. It apparently was supposed to enhance Isabel's mental and physical capabilities."  
  
"Supposed to?" Leon asked, trying to get a grasp on what he was finding out.  
  
"It was a failure, as a child she showed no signs of excelled learning or advanced physical attributes. They stopped testing Isabel when she was two." Wesker answered for her.  
  
"How could someone do that to their wife and child?" Leon asked astounded.  
  
"Someone who didn't want the child to begin with." Wesker answered again.  
  
Both Leon and Rebecca looked at him as if they'd never seen him before. Wesker didn't elaborate and neither one of them had the nerve to ask him about it.  
  
"I don't want Isabel knowing about this do you understand? I want this wiped off the hard drive." He added.  
  
"Sir, Isabel should know about this. It affects her." Rebecca said in disbelief.  
  
"She was considered a failure. There was no effect on her. Do you want her more upset than she is?" He shot back not happy about being questioned on the matter.  
  
Rebecca didn't answer immediately, it was clear to both men that she was trying to work something out in her head.  
  
"I don't think she was a failure." Rebecca said looking straight at Wesker.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"I mean that she might not have some super strength or be some kind of a genius, but she knows things. She can usually tell how we are feeling, sometimes before we do."  
  
"I doubt..." Wesker started to reply.  
  
"No hear me out. She can read you better than anyone sir. Isabel's done it to me too and Carlos. She can just tell things."  
  
"She's done it with me also." Leon finally spoke again. It had taken him a long time to get over the shock of finding out this information. Leon almost wished he hadn't gotten into the files. He wasn't sure how he was going to act around Isabel now. Finding out that her father wasn't the man she thought he was and not being able to tell her, he didn't like it.  
  
Wesker didn't know what to say. What if it were true? Searching his memory he tried to recall anything that would give weight to Chambers' hypothesis. It wasn't hard, even at HCF Isabel had been able to read him. She'd done it several times in this place also, when he was going to leave she'd known before he'd said a word.  
  
"It makes sense, but there is a wrinkle in your theory, she can't tell all the time what someone is thinking or feeling." Wesker said still not completely ready to believe.  
  
"Sir, Isabel probably can't control it, she's never been trained. She doesn't even realize she's doing it, for her it's simply been a way of life, nothing more." Rebecca answered.  
  
"Why didn't someone pick up on this before? Her dad was the one that did this wouldn't he have noticed as she got older?" Leon asked getting up and pacing.  
  
"Her father left when she was twelve." Wesker answered. He wasn't happy about telling them all this information, it wasn't his place, but they needed to know all the facts, so they could figure out this mess.  
  
"Then he probably didn't know, it could have lain dormant until she hit puberty." Rebecca suggested.  
  
"It's possible, with all the hormonal and chemical changes." Wesker agreed.  
  
"If I had to hypothesize I would say that her being pregnant has probably made her even more sensitive to the emotions around her. Once she has the baby it probably won't affect her as much and if she has more children during the pregnancies it will again become stronger. It would be an interesting study." Rebecca hadn't meant to go on that way, but the scientist in her had gotten the better of her.  
  
"Get this straight Chambers, she is NOT an experiment and she will NOT be treated as one." Wesker stated allowing a hint of anger into his voice as a warning.  
  
Rebecca was taken aback at the fact he would think she would do such a thing. She didn't play with people's lives like that. Rebecca never had and never would. Then she realized he Wesker spent his entire adult life around people who, just knowing Isabel carried his child would probably cut her open and take the baby to study it.  
  
"I didn't mean it that way. I am not like the people you worked for. I don't use people as guinea pigs." She said defending herself.  
  
"As long as you know where I stand. Isabel is not to know about any of this." He warned leaving the room.  
  
Rebecca just stared at the door after Wesker left. After a couple of minutes she looked at Leon. She didn't know what to say. Rebecca hadn't thought he would react that way to her statement. She was just expounding on a theory.  
  
"I didn't mean it the way he took it." Rebecca said in a subdued voice.  
  
"Rebecca, I know you didn't. To be truthful, if it were me and you spoke that way about Claire I would feel the same way. There for a minute you sounded like some mad scientist."  
  
"I did? I was just stating..."  
  
"You were stating that it would be interesting to study her abilities if she had more children. Hell Rebecca it almost sounded like, let's get her pregnant again and study her, when she hasn't even had the first baby." He cut in.  
  
"I would never suggest that."  
  
"But that's what it sounded like. I'm pretty sure that's what Umbrella or HCF would do. Artificially inseminate her to study the results."  
  
"OH GOD, I need to apologize to him." Rebecca stated her face a mask of horror at the thought of what she'd done.  
  
"Give him a few minutes to cool off, then go." Leon said getting up and giving her a pat on the back.  
  
When Wesker got back to Isabel's room she was just starting to wake up. She gave him a sleepy grin of contentment as he walked towards the bed and sat down next to her.  
  
"Where did you go? Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on me?" She asked stretching under the covers.  
  
"I was keeping an eye on you. You were sleeping soundly and I needed to speak with chambers."  
  
"You aren't keeping me in here longer are you?"  
  
Isabel's pleasant expression quickly changed to one of distaste at the thought of being held up in bed any longer than necessary.  
  
"No, my dear I would never dream of keeping you locked up in here any longer than need be. I get a feeling I'd be changing diapers for a month straight. He said smiling at her.  
  
"And don't you forget that either." She said sitting, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him.  
  
A light knock at the door interrupted their intimate moment. Sitting back and never taking his eyes off of Isabel Wesker answered it.  
  
"Enter."  
  
As Rebecca entered the room she saw the two on the bed. Wesker sat with his back towards her, not bothering to turn around. Isabel was facing her, a smile on her face blankets demurely tucked under her arms, covering her clearly naked form. Rebecca was surprised that Wesker would do something so risky as to take her to bed when he was so concerned about her welfare last night.  
  
"Sir, I need to speak to you a moment, if it's all right." She said not coming any farther into the room.  
  
"I'll meet you in the living room in a few minutes." He replied still not looking at her.  
  
With nothing else to do she turned and went to the living room to await his arrival. Rebecca didn't have to wait long.  
  
"What is it now Chambers?" He asked before he even stopped walking.  
  
"I wanted to apologize sir. The part of me that is a scientist spoke before the rest of me could catch up. Leon made it clear to me how I sounded and I would never treat Isabel or the baby as an experiment." She took a deep breath after finishing her speech.  
  
"Apology expect, as long as we both know where each other stands."  
  
"I think we do. Having said that I feel I must warn you that you two shouldn't be having sex right now, at least until she's off of bed rest. I mean after that there should be no reason you can't resume normal activities."  
  
It took everything in Wesker not to laugh at her miss-conception. He hadn't thought about how it might look to anyone walking in.  
  
"Chambers, the one and only time we had sex was when she conceived. I haven't touched her since then. I wouldn't risk it."  
  
Rebecca wasn't sure, but she thought she heard a slight hint of longing in his voice.  
  
"You can, you know, but not until after I clear her." She stated, blushing profusely by now.  
  
"If that's all chambers, I need to go make sure she's not out of bed." Wesker replied turning to leave. After taking a few steps he stopped. Looking straight a head he spoke again. "Thank you Chambers, for everything."  
  
Before Rebecca could reply he was already down the hall.  
  
Rebecca had been quiet most of the evening. Carlos was starting to think that she was regretting going out with him. It would figure the one time I want something serious with a woman, she doesn't. This wasn't going how he planned. Carlos expected them to talk and laugh like they usually did, but they hadn't. Dinner had been almost silent and he wasn't sure, but he didn't think Rebecca had paid much attention to the movie either. As Carlos was going over what a disaster their date had been, Rebecca did something that took him totally off guard. She scooted over as close as she could to him and laid her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Becca is there something bothering you." He asked.  
  
"It's Wesker, he thanked me today, but I can't figure out why." She replied.  
  
"Don't let it go to your head. He knows he needs you and that you'll take good care of Isabel when she delivers. He was thanking you because of her."  
  
"I guess that makes sense. It just took me by surprise. He isn't the type of person to do something like that." Rebecca stated after thinking on it a moment.  
  
Her answer to his question made Carlos feel much better about the whole situation. To know that she wasn't regretting anything gave him hope.  
  
"So our date was ruined by Wesker. I think I'm beginning to dislike the man." Carlos stated.  
  
"Our date wasn't ruined." Rebecca said lifting her head off his shoulder.  
  
"It wasn't? We barely talked at dinner and I don't think you could tell me what happened in the movie." Carlos replied taking his eyes off the road for a second to look at her.  
  
"It wasn't ruined, because I was with you." She countered, placing her head back on his shoulders.  
  
Carlos couldn't believe Rebecca had just said that. She was happy to just be with him. He was going to make this night up to her, even though it hadn't been his fault. Carlos was going to have to think of something really special. As they pulled onto the dirt road that led to the house it began to snow.  
  
"What a perfect ending to the evening." Rebecca said looking up into the sky.  
  
Walking towards the house hand in hand, Carlos stopped Rebecca before she opened the front door. Wondering why he'd stopped her, she turned to look at him.  
  
"May I kiss you good night?" He asked.  
  
"Yes, but I'm not sure why you asked. I fully intend to sleep in your bed again." She answered with a smile on her lips.  
  
"Really?" He asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes. You keep the nightmares away."  
  
Leaning over Carlos gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.  
  
"We should go inside. It's pretty cold out here." He said lifting his head.  
  
When Carlos and Rebecca walked through the door they were greeted with the sight of Chris sitting in the arm chair that faced the door. He had a slight frown on his face and looked like he'd been sitting there for quite some time. Gee all that's missing is a shot gun laid across his lap, Rebecca thought, trying not to laugh at the ridiculous image.  
  
"Where have you two been? You guys just leave and not tell anyone." Chris asked trying to keep his anger under control.  
  
"Sorry dad, we just went to see a movie. It will never happen again, I promise." Carlos replied smiling at him.  
  
Chris couldn't believe it, he had been really worried. He knew that there was something going on between them, some sort of argument. When they had both come up missing at dinner he didn't know what to think and began to worry.  
  
"Stop being a smart ass Oliviera, I was worried something had happened." Chris shot back.  
  
Rebecca felt bad. She hadn't meant to worry anyone. The only person who knew that she and Carlos were going on a date was Isabel. Rebecca was just very shy about this kind of thing and didn't want to be teased by Jill or Claire. She hadn't expected Chris to be so upset that they left and didn't tell him.  
  
"Chris I'm sorry, we should have told you. We went to see a movie." Rebecca said trying to stop an argument before it started.  
  
"I was just worried next time let us know what's going on." Chris replied his anger giving way.  
  
Carlos stood there slightly stunned. Chris could definitely be a pain in the ass. He acted like it was his responsibility to father Claire and Rebecca. They were adults and could handle themselves in almost any situation. They had proven that time and again. First there was the scene with Leon and now this. The man was going to blow his top when he found out that they had been sleeping in the same bed together.  
  
Well might as well get this over with.  
  
"Becca why don't you go upstairs, I'll be there in a minute." Carlos said turning to look at her.  
  
"Are you sure?" She asked back.  
  
"I know what I'm doing, I'll be right up."  
  
Carlos watched her walk upstairs until she was out of sight. He then looked back at Chris. He could tell Chris was trying to figure out what was going on between Rebecca and himself.  
  
"Are we going to have another Leon incident or are going to let me explain?" He asked.  
  
"This had better be good." Chris said using every ounce of restraint he possessed.  
  
"She's been having nightmares and I've been sleeping with her."  
  
"What?" Chris almost yelled.  
  
"We have been sleeping in the same bed, nothing more. I respect her to much to try anything with her." Carlos stated far more calmly than he felt.  
  
Chris didn't speak for some time. Carlos couldn't tell if he was trying to control his anger or he was thinking something over.  
  
"I really care for her, Chris. Now the question is are you going to trust that I'll do the right thing or are you going to try and beat the shit out of me? Either way I'm not letting her go." Carlos said when Chris still hadn't spoken.  
  
"Carlos, you better really love her, because if I find out you've used her, you'll have hell to pay." He finally said getting up off the chair.  
  
Carlos couldn't help but laugh at that. It was the most inappropriate thing to do at the time, but he felt like he'd just gotten permission to date someone's daughter.  
  
"What's so funny?" Chris asked anger creeping over him again.  
  
"Leon pretty much said the same thing this morning. I guess I'll have to be on my best behavior now." Carlos answered with a grin.  
  
Chris relaxed at that. He knew Rebecca had a crush on Carlos, but he never thought Carlos would return the feeling. When Jill had shown up with him, Chris had thought any chance with her was gone. They seemed so close. When Jill told him that she and Carlos were just friends and admitted to him how she felt, Chris had been relieved. He thought that Carlos may have still been a problem once Jill had rejected him, he hadn't been. He'd told Chris that he didn't step in other men's territory. Thinking about it now Chris couldn't believe he hadn't trusted him. Carlos was a stand up guy, it was just that Claire now had Leon and Rebecca had Carlos. Chris felt responsible for both of them for so long it was hard to let go.  
  
"Did Leon really threaten you?" Chris asked in disbelief after a moment.  
  
"You know Leon, he doesn't threaten anyone, but I definitely got the impression that if I hurt her I'm in trouble." Carlos answered his grin widening.  
  
"Good that goes double for me." Chris said finally grinning back.  
  
Walking towards the stairs, Carlos stopped and turned back around.  
  
"You know, you better have boys, because I feel sorry for any daughters you might have," and with that he headed upstairs.  
  
Walking into his room, Carlos saw Rebecca was already in bed and for once Leon was asleep before one A.M. Being as quiet as he could he grabbed a pair of gym shorts and a T- shirt out of his dresser and went into the bathroom to change. Upon re-entering the room he noticed Rebecca had scooted to one side of the bed to make room for him.  
  
"How did things go?" She whispered as Carlos slipped into bed next to her.  
  
"Everything's fine, I'm still alive and I got permission to date you." He said smiling at her.  
  
"Really, you asked permission?"  
  
"No, but I told him everything, including us sleeping in the same bed and when everything was said and done, he's okay with it." He said kissing her on the forehead.  
  
"Now I think it's time for bed," he said yawning.  
  
"Good night becca."  
  
"Good night." She replied as the both snuggled up under the covers.  
  
When Chris entered his room, after turning off all the lights down stairs, he found Jill still awake and reading a book.  
  
"What are you doing still up?" He asked.  
  
"Waiting to hear the gun shot." She answered not looking up from the book.  
  
"What?"  
  
Putting the book down and looking at the man she loved, Jill recalled exactly why she loved Chris. Because he would do anything and go anywhere for the people he cared about. She knew he could be stubborn and over protective, but he was only that way with the people he loved.  
  
"Chris, my love you can be over protective sometimes, especially when it comes to Rebecca and Claire. She stated.  
  
"Well right now I feel like I've lost them. They don't need me anymore." He replied, looking at the floor.  
  
"Maybe they don't, but I still do and I don't think you could have lost them to two better men, either."  
  
"I guess your right, as long as you still need me." He replied looking back up at her and grinning.  
  
"I do, this bed feels kind of empty without you taking up three quarters of it." Jill said patting the empty space besides her.  
  
"Hey I do not take up that much of the bed." Chris shot back.  
  
"Redfield, just get over here so I can show you how much I need you." She replied turning off the bedside lamp. 


	14. chapter 14

Hi again, would like to thank Mr. Zarbok for answering my question. Also would like to say I hope I haven't lost any of the people who have read my story so far. I would be really sad if I let any of you down. So with that here's some more.  
  
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The last three days had passed with minimal drama. The only problem was the longer Isabel stayed in bed the crankier she became. It had been building for a couple of days, so Wesker wasn't surprised when she finally snapped. Wesker had just brought lunch into Isabel, when Chris had walked through the door.  
  
"Hey Izzy, I thought we'd play some cards." He said with a smile on his face.  
  
Isabel glared at him before she spoke.  
  
"I have a given name. I don't know why you can't remember it. Of course given I spend all my time picking up after you, I guess remembering my name would be too much to ask."  
  
Chris, taken by surprise had started to apologize, but Isabel cut him off.  
  
"Don't bother apologizing until you can remember my name. Until that time you need to get the hell out of my sight." She had finished still, glaring at him.  
  
Wesker had been shocked to see the woman he loved act that way with no provocation. It wasn't like Isabel to do something like that and she needed to be told it was unacceptable. Redfield was just trying to cheer her up. The only problem was Chris didn't look like he was going to say anything, just stand there in a stupor.  
  
"Redfield, I need to speak to Isabel alone." Wesker said putting down the tray he still held.  
  
Chris didn't reply to either of them. He just turned around and walked out the door. He hadn't meant to upset Isabel. Chris knew Isabel wasn't fond of his nickname for her, but she had never told him exactly how much she disliked it. If he had known, he would never have kept calling her that.  
  
Isabel knew she shouldn't have spoken to Chris like that, but she really didn't care at this point. She just wanted to get out of this damn bed. Looking at Albert as Chris left the room, she could tell he was upset with her. Isabel didn't really care about that either, until he spoke.  
  
"Isabel Marie Landen, that was uncalled for and mean. He was just coming in to cheer you up. I'm the reason your in this bed, if you want to be angry at someone be angry with me."  
  
Isabel never had anyone scold her like that before. Her mother had been extremely patient with her and because of that Isabel never caused any real trouble. Right now she felt as though she'd let Albert down by her behavior.  
  
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things." Isabel said not able to meet his gaze.  
  
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. They have accepted you as one of their own, when by all rights they shouldn't have. As much as I hate to say it you owe Redfield and apology." Wesker replied picking up the tray and putting it in front of her.  
  
"Will you have Chris come in here, so I can say I'm sorry?" Isabel said finally lifting her head to look at him.  
  
Wesker was surprised she had changed her attitude so fast. He had halfway expected a fight from Isabel. She just sat there picking at her food, which wasn't a good sign. It meant Isabel was upset about him scolding her. Spending the last week with Isabel, Wesker learned how to read her, of course it wasn't hard.  
  
"I'll have him come in after your done eating. Then I want you to take a nap." Wesker said sitting down next to her on the bed.  
  
After a few more minutes of picking at her food Isabel turned to speak to him.  
  
"You are going to be a great father. You already have that full name thing down."  
  
Wesker couldn't help but laugh at her statement.  
  
"I think it will take a lot more than that to be a good father." He replied still smiling.  
  
"You'll get the rest of it in time." She said kissing him on the cheek.  
  
When Isabel finished eating, Wesker took her tray to the kitchen and went in search of Chris. He found him sitting outside on the porch swing watching the snow fall. As Wesker approached him, Chris looked in his direction.  
  
"I guess you're here to threaten me for upsetting Isabel." Chris stated before Wesker could speak.  
  
"No, I'm here because Isabel would like to speak to you. As for upsetting her, she's been getting touchier by the day. It was just a matter of time before something like this happened."  
  
Chris followed Wesker back to Isabel's room in silence. He still couldn't believe Wesker was here, or that he had a very pregnant woman in one of their spare bedrooms. Chris had always thought that, should he and Wesker meet again, one of them would end up dead. Here they where though brought together by a woman that until six months ago neither one of them had met. Chris still hated his former captain for his betrayal and all the innocent lives lost, but he could see a difference in him, at least when it came to Isabel.  
  
Walking into the bedroom Chris saw that Isabel was in the exact same spot she'd been in when he left.  
  
"Chris I need to say I'm sorry. I over reacted this afternoon. I'm just tired of being in here and the whole Izzy thing was the last straw." Isabel said before Chris could say anything.  
  
"You should have told me the whole Izzy thing bothered you so much, I would have stopped." Chris replied going over to sit next to her on the bed.  
  
"Next time something really bugs me, I'll let you know." She said smiling.  
  
"Well ma'am since this is your first offense we'll let you off with a warning." Chris said in his best cop impression.  
  
"So are you ready to play some cards?"  
  
"I can't, I have to take a nap now." Isabel stated rolling her eyes and motioning to Wesker.  
  
"Well then I better leave you to it. I wouldn't want HIM mad at me," Chris replied chuckling. "Have a good sleep."  
  
Isabel waited until Chris left the room before she started to rearrange the pillows so she could lie down.  
  
"You're really going to make me take another nap?" She asked turning on her side to face Wesker.  
  
Walking over to the bed and laying down next to her so that they were face to face, he spoke.  
  
"Look at it this way, your making up in advance for all the sleep we're going to miss once the baby's born."  
  
"Hmm, that sounds nice." She replied closing her eyes and smiling.  
  
"No sleep sounds nice?" He asked raising an eyebrow, slightly amused.  
  
"No, our baby in my arms sounds nice." Isabel replied not opening her eyes.  
  
Wesker watched Isabel silently until he was sure she was asleep. While she was sleeping he decided it was safe enough to get some fresh air. Truth be told, Wesker felt like pulling his hair out. He'd never been so bored in his life, but he couldn't leave Isabel's side for any length of time. Isabel was stubborn enough to try to get up and do something. Wesker was beginning to hope Chambers cleared her in the next day or two. This inactivity was beginning to grate on his nerves. As he turned to go back inside the house, he heard the shower come on in Isabel's bathroom. Damn her, he thought as he made a bee line for the room.  
  
Isabel lay in bed trying to sleep, when she felt Albert get off the bed and heard him leave the room. She had really tried to sleep, but just wasn't tired so sitting up Isabel tried to decide what to do, then it hit her, maybe if she took a hot shower she would feel better.  
  
Isabel knew Albert wouldn't be happy about it but she figured with any luck she could be back in bed before he came back. Waiting a few more seconds to make sure it was safe Isabel got out of bed and went to start the shower. Doing so, she then went back into the bedroom to get a change of clothes out of the dresser. That's where Albert found her when he came through the bedroom door.  
  
Wesker stood in the door frame using every ounce of control he had to keep his anger in check. When he was sure he could be within a few inches of Isabel without losing complete control of temper Wesker went over to where she stood, wide eyed by the dresser and silently picked her up. Going over to the bed he deposited her in it, before going back to the dresser to shut the still open drawer.  
  
Isabel could tell Albert was well past the angry stage, he was furious. His silence was louder than any yell could be. She had never seen Albert this angry, not when she'd hit him at the facility, and not when he had threatened to take her back to HCF. Isabel just wished he'd yell at her or threaten her, anything but this silence.  
  
"Aren't you going to talk to me?" She asked in a hushed voice.  
  
Wesker still had his back towards Isabel. At the sound of her voice, he tightened his hold on the top of the dresser, trying to control himself.  
  
"Why? You don't listen to me." He answered giving the dresser a shove.  
  
It wasn't a hard shove by his standards, but none the less it sent the dresser sliding into the wall that separated the bath and bedroom. Hitting the wall it teetered for a moment before toppling over face first, with a loud bang.  
  
When the dresser hit the floor Isabel jumped. As Wesker turned around to look at her, she sank as far back into the pillows as she could, totally terrified by the man she loved.  
  
"Do you realize that every time you disobey Rebecca or me that you put yourself and our child in danger?" He asked walking back towards the bed.  
  
"Albert, I just..." She started, placing her hand on his arm.  
  
"Don't," He said pulling his arm away, seeing tears start to form in her eyes he added, "Tears won't work this time either."  
  
Wesker knew he had to leave before he said something that really hurt her. As he went to the door Wesker heard the shower still running and his anger surged again. Turning around to look at Isabel, he couldn't help himself as he said.  
  
"Do what ever the hell you want, if you don't care, why should I?" And with that he walked out of the room slamming the door behind him.  
  
Everyone in the house heard a loud bang come from Isabel's room and the door slam a few minutes later. Chris was the first one on the scene. Not bothering to knock, he opened Isabel's door to find her sitting on the bed crying. Noticing the overturned dresser, he was about to ask what happened, when everyone else arrived, pushing their way in.  
  
"What the hell happened in here?" Leon asked concern in his voice when he saw the dresser on the floor.  
  
"I'll tell you what happened, Wesker happened. He and I are going to have a little talk." Chris answered before Isabel could speak.  
  
"Chris, you need to calm down and get both sides before you could go off half cocked." Jill said putting her hand on his shoulder, to stop him.  
  
"What did happen in here?" She then asked turning back to Isabel.  
  
Isabel couldn't answer her, all she could do is bury her face in her hands and cry harder. She had felt fine the past few days, back to her normal self. Isabel hadn't thought a simple shower would do her any harm. She knew Albert wouldn't be happy about her sneaking out of bed, but she hadn't thought he would react the way he had.  
  
Everyone was concentrating on Isabel and the state of the room so much, that no one except Rebecca picked up that the shower was running.  
  
"I think I know what happened." Rebecca spoke up, walking over to Isabel.  
  
"Well would someone, please explain it to me." Chris said becoming irritated.  
  
Chris didn't know what was going on, but he was beginning to feel like a chump. He had actually thought Wesker might be changing. It was apparent he hadn't changed a bit. Still bullying and throwing his weight around. Chris could tell Isabel had been frightened by what had happened. He was going to kick Wesker's ass once things got settled in here.  
  
Still looking at Isabel Rebecca began to speak.  
  
"You tried to get out of bed to take a shower, while he wasn't in the room didn't you?"  
  
Isabel, still not able to speak nodded her head yes.  
  
"He came in and caught you didn't he?" Rebecca asked again.  
  
Again Isabel shook her head yes.  
  
"Damn it Isabel!" Chris scolded.  
  
"Christopher Redfield, that's enough." Claire stated shooting him a disapproving look.  
  
Claire knew that Chris was just saying what they all were thinking, but Isabel was upset enough as it was. She didn't need to feel as if they were attacking her. Claire felt as if out of all of them she understood how Isabel felt. Isabel had told her yesterday that she felt like her old self again. Claire knew that if she felt that way it would be hard to keep her in bed.  
  
"Isabel, do you realize that, you and the baby are the only things Wesker has ever cared about, other than himself. Wesker is right about you being in bed and you know it. Hell if I were in his place I would have reacted the same way." Carlos spoke up from the back of the group.  
  
Carlos liked Isabel, almost from the moment he met her. She'd been honest and up front from the beginning and didn't pull any punches Isabel told you exactly what she thought. It had been easy to identify with her, because when he had arrived here with Jill, Carlos had been an outsider also. Chris didn't trust him because he once worked for Umbrella, and he was sure it didn't' help that Chris was in love with Jill and saw him as competition. If it hadn't been for Leon and Jill, he probably would have left. Leon being a bit of an outsider himself had accepted him more easily than the rest and of course Jill trusted him after everything they went through.  
  
"Do you understand that your pushing Wesker farther than anyone else possibly could? If someone else tried what you pulled it would be them on the floor instead of the dresser. Leon stated walking over to stand next to Rebecca by the bed.  
  
Isabel had helped bring Claire back to him and for that he was eternally grateful, but he agreed with Wesker on this one. He also realized that if what he, Rebecca and Wesker talked about the other day was true, then it must have been terrifying for her in here. Leon didn't know what else to say, he was an honest person and he didn't like hiding the information they'd found from her. Leon thought that if Isabel knew about her father, then she would see where Wesker was coming from, but he'd promised so he remained silent.  
  
"I think I need to be alone right now." Isabel said finally finding her voice.  
  
Everyone seemed to be taking Albert's side. Didn't they realize she hadn't meant for any of this to happen. Isabel wasn't trying to hurt herself or her child. She would never do that. They were treating her as some kind of criminal for wanting to take a shower. Albert had said he wouldn't leave her, that he would always be there and she didn't doubt that for an instant. He would always be there for his child, but Isabel was afraid she'd pushed him to far this time.  
  
"Hey Carlos, help me with this thing, it weighs a damn ton." Chris said trying to lift the dresser back into place.  
  
"Gee Chris, if Wesker can knock it over that easily, you shouldn't need any help picking it up." Carlos replied smiling, but went over to help him anyway.  
  
It took both men to get the piece of furniture on its feet again.  
  
"How the hell did he do that?" Carlos asked walking out the bedroom door when they were done.  
  
"You think that's something, I hit the guy with a metal pipe once, he blocked it with his arm and bent the pipe." Isabel heard Chris say as he followed Carlos out the door closing it behind him.  
  
Isabel sat in bed for sometime trying to figure out what to do next. She didn't want to be around people who would think she would purposely put her child in danger. Looking around the room, Isabel saw Albert's car keys on the night stand and knew what she had to do. She was going to leave. Isabel had a few good friends once, and even though it would seem weird, her showing up on their door, she was sure they would put her up for a few days. That would give her time to figure what to do next. Getting out of bed and tying her hair back, Isabel began to change her clothes. When she was finished dressing she went into the bathroom to turn off the shower that everyone had seemed to have forgotten. Walking back into the bedroom Isabel began to empty the drawers of the now battered dresser. Setting everything on the bed she realized she didn't have anything to put her clothes in. It almost stopped Isabel until she remembered Albert's duffle bag. Going over to the closet, she found the bag stashed on the floor at the very back of it. Picking up the bag, Isabel realized that there were still clothes in it. Walking over to the bed she dumped the contents of the bag on it. Isabel then started to pack her things, halfway through the process she heard her door open.  
  
"I'm leaving. I'm going to take Albert's car. I have friends that will put me up for a few days. I can't stay here any longer." She said, focused on her task and not looking up.  
  
"I believe that would be considered grand theft." Wesker said from the doorway.  
  
Isabel didn't look at him she just continued packing.  
  
"If you're going to beat up anymore furniture, I suggest you start with the night stand. I don't think the dresser could handle anymore." She said walking toward the bathroom to retrieve the items she left in there.  
  
Wesker intercepted her before she could get to the door.  
  
"Will you stop a minute? I have something to tell you." He said placing his hands on her shoulder and turning her to face him.  
  
"Why? I don't listen." She shot back.  
  
"So you're going to use my own words against me."  
  
"I thought it was only fitting."  
  
"Let me say what I have to. After I'm done, if you still want to leave, I'll give you my car keys and enough money to cover all of your expenses until the baby's born. Will you listen to me now?"  
  
Isabel couldn't believe it. Albert would let her leave without a fight. That broke her heart more than the thought of leaving did.  
  
"Take off the sunglasses and I'll listen." She said with a sigh.  
  
Wesker didn't hesitate in removing his sunglasses. When he walked in the room he hadn't expected to find Isabel packing. He wasn't sure what he had expected to find, but that wasn't it. The last thing Wesker wanted to do was let her leave, but if that was the only way to get Isabel to listen, he would make good on his promise.  
  
"Will you please sit down, before I start?" Wesker asked still not wanting her on her feet too long.  
  
Isabel silently walked over to the bed and sat down. It was taking everything in her to keep her face emotionless, but she was succeeding.  
  
"What do you want to say?" She asked in the most neutral tone she could muster.  
  
"I know that you only wanted to take a shower. I also know you feel back to your old self, but what would have happened if you had another dizzy spell while you were in there? It's slippery and there is nothing to hold on to. You could fall and seriously hurt yourself and the baby." The intense concern in his voice almost brought her to tears.  
  
"I hadn't thought about it that way." She replied finally looking up into his eyes.  
  
"I know you didn't. You're more concerned about everyone else's well being than your own." Wesker said, kneeling down so that he was at eye level with her.  
  
"That's one of the reasons I love you so much. I ache at the thought something might happen to you. You are my better half. I never thought I would feel this way about anyone.  
  
Looking into her beautiful green eyes, he realized there was one more thing he needed to say.  
  
"I would like you to be my wife."  
  
Isabel sat there in disbelief as the words sunk in. Still not speaking she placed a hand on each side of his face and leaned forward to kiss him.  
  
"So I guess that means your staying?" Wesker asked after the kiss ended.  
  
"Yes." She answered looking into his unique eyes.  
  
"Why don't we take that shower you wanted?" He asked standing up, and helping Isabel to her feet.  
  
Smiling, Isabel silently followed him to the bathroom, for their shower. 


	15. chapter 15

HI I'm glad that you are still reading, I just worried that some had lost interest, thanks for your review. To answer the question brought up by two people. I did think about it, but decided it would be too much of a strain for Isabel to be in the middle of that argument, but I am writing a sequel and I'm sure it will probably have come up by then. So yes there will be a sequel, I'm just not sure it will be what everyone expects. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Wesker watched Isabel from his place on the bed. She seemed to grow more beautiful with every day that passed. Right now she was in the middle of brushing her teeth, finishing up she walked into the bedroom to get dressed.  
  
"How do we feel this morning?" He asked, getting up from his spot, walking up behind her and putting his arms around her and their child.  
  
Placing her hands over his on her stomach, Isabel spoke "Like if I get any bigger I'll explode."  
  
It had been a month and half since he'd asked her to marry him, and everyone in the house was on pins and needles, because Rebecca had recently announced that Isabel was rapidly approaching the end of her pregnancy. She had given Isabel a week, two at the most.  
  
Wesker hadn't meant to stay so long, he knew the longer he stayed the more likely it was that HCF would find Isabel. He didn't care what they would do to him, but he wouldn't allow them to touch her. A few days after she had been allowed out of bed Wesker had made preparations to leave, he'd given Leon access codes to his off shore accounts, so that Isabel would be taken care of in his absence. Wesker then packed his bags and waited until evening to leave, he wanted to spend as much time with Isabel as he could before he left. When it had been time Wesker had gone to the bedroom to give her one last kiss good bye and she'd asked him to stay one last night. Isabel had been very persuasive and later, as she'd lain naked in his arms Wesker promised himself that he would leave in the morning. Wesker had promised himself that every night, until a week ago, when Rebecca made her announcement. He decided to stay then, not wanting to chance missing the birth of his child.  
  
"Hurry up and get changed, I'll make your breakfast." Wesker stated, kissing Isabel on the shoulder and releasing his hold on her.  
  
Walking to the door he paused to take one last look at her before exiting.  
  
It seemed to take Isabel forever to get dressed anymore and as much as she loved the fact that she had this little life growing inside her, she would be glad when she got some remnant of her figure back. Isabel would have loved to be able to tie her shoes again, and having to go to the bathroom every two seconds was getting on her nerves.  
  
Once she was finished dressing, Isabel had intended to go straight to the kitchen for breakfast, but some how found herself in the nursery. She knew that everyone in the house was on edge. They were all waiting for her to walk in and announce that her water had broken. Isabel had a feeling though that little Rosalie was quite comfortable where she was and planned to stay there as long as possible. No one new that Isabel had begun to think of the baby as Rosalie, she thought they would all laugh at her presumption.  
  
Albert made it very apparent that he was expecting a boy, when he suggested the nursery be done in blue. Last month everyone had cleaned out the room across the hall, it had been where they had stored the weapons, but decided it would make a better nursery. The weapons had been moved to the basement and the redecorating had begun. The room was finished now, painted in pastel greens and yellows, Albert wanted blue and Isabel, sure the baby was a girl wanted pink. In the end they had compromised. They furnished the room with a white crib and dresser set, and because Isabel had wanted an old fashioned rocking chair, everyone had searched high and low for one. None of them had been able to find quite what she was looking for, until one day Carlos had come home with this beat up old thing, painted a horrendous orange color. Isabel fell in love with it the moment she saw it, all except the color, which she knew would be easy to fix. Albert hadn't understood why she had to have it, until Isabel told him that it was almost exactly like the one she'd had in her room growing up. She told him how as a little girl her mother used to rock her in it when she wasn't feeling well, that she wanted their child to have those kinds of memories. Albert had just looked at her for a moment and seeing the joy it brought her, declared that the orange would have to go. Isabel smiled at him and said she'd have Chris or Carlos strip and refinish it. Albert told her if it meant that much to her, he would do the job himself.  
  
Wesker spent three days working on the rocker to make sure it was perfect. He wouldn't let Isabel anywhere near it until he was finished, when it was totally dry he'd placed it in the nursery and led her to the room to show the chair to her.  
  
Standing in the nursery now, Isabel felt at peace. All the preparations were made, everything the baby would need sat in the room. Next to the crib, was the changing table laid out with baby wipes, powder, and lotion. The diapers were stored on a little shelf under the table it's self. Next to the dresser was a baby bath, the kind that fit in the sink to conserve space and the bassinette that the baby would use while it slept in their room. All the baby clothes were folded and placed in the dresser, which stood next to the door. Jill had even bought one of those baby swings that played music, for when the baby was older. It sat in the opposite corner of the dresser. Everything was set all they needed was for Rosalie to make an appearance.  
  
Every thing still didn't seem real at times but, then the baby would kick and Isabel was reminded that it was. Sitting in the rocker she closed her eyes and stroked her stomach, losing herself in the stillness of the moment.  
  
"I thought I'd find you in here." Wesker said walking into the room. "Breakfast is ready, come eat before it gets cold."  
  
Isabel opened her eyes at the sound of his voice. Looking into his handsome face, her heart was filled with more love than she could have ever thought possible.  
  
"Come help me up then." Isabel replied lifting her hands, so that he could take them.  
  
Isabel waited patiently for him to walk over and help her up. Even though she didn't like it, Isabel had gotten used to allowing everyone to help her with the little things she had once been able to do on her own.  
  
Allowing a smile to settle on his face, Wesker went over to Isabel, took both her hands in his and helped her to her feet. They hadn't really argued since the blow up over the shower. It took a while, but both of them had learned to give, when it came to differences of opinions. Wesker no longer ordered her around, expecting her to comply without question. Isabel in turn took the time to try and see things from his perspective, and began to realize he weighed every out come, before making a decision. She also understood now that Albert was only adamant about things that he was sure would affect her or the baby adversely. Isabel had always tended to be a little reckless with her own safety, often doing things without thinking of the consequences. Through Wesker she learned that with a child on the way it was something she couldn't afford to do anymore.  
  
"What did you fix me?" She asked smiling at him once she was on her feet.  
  
"Breakfast." He replied straight faced.  
  
"Smart ass." She said trying to lean over her stomach to kiss him.  
  
When Isabel's attempt failed, he obliged her by leaning over and giving her a peck on the lips.  
  
"Come on." He said leading her from the room.  
  
As Isabel and Wesker entered the kitchen, she was surprised to find Claire sitting there crying.  
  
"Claire, sweetie what's wrong?" Isabel asked her voice full of concern.  
  
"I-I can't talk about it." She stated looking directly at Wesker.  
  
Isabel knew immediately what was wrong. She also realized she wouldn't get any information from the girl with Albert standing there.  
  
"Can you give me a minute alone with Claire?" Isabel asked looking from Claire to Wesker.  
  
Wesker gave a slight sigh and spoke, "I'll be in the living room." With that he turned and walked into the other room.  
  
Isabel studied Claire for a moment, trying to decide how to approach the subject. In the end she decided the straight forward approach was best.  
  
"How far along are you?" Isabel asked.  
  
Claire's head shot up at the question, a look of surprise on her face.  
  
"He's going to kill Leon.' Claire stated instead of answering, confirming Isabel's suspicions.  
  
"Claire, how far?" Isabel asked again, walking over to the table and sitting in the chair next to her.  
  
"A month, maybe a little more." She finally answered. "I just found out, Leon doesn't even know yet."  
  
Isabel was torn between smiling at the news and worrying how Chris would react. He definitely had a protective streak when it came to Claire and wouldn't be happy about this. She knew by Claire's earlier statement, she was thinking the same thing.  
  
"I'll be right there with you, when you tell him." Isabel said placing her hand over Claire's and giving it a squeeze.  
  
Claire just smiled a weak smile at her unsure what to say next, when they where interrupted.  
  
"Um, no your not, as interesting as it will be to see what Redfield does to Kennedy, your not going to be anywhere near this mess." Wesker said from the doorway.  
  
So Redfield's sister was pregnant, Wesker had a feeling today was going to be another interesting day in a long line of them. His only concern at the moment was how to keep Isabel out of the middle of it.  
  
"Chris isn't going to do anything to Leon," Isabel replied looking at him, "You aren't going to let him."  
  
Wesker raised an eyebrow as if to say oh really.  
  
Seeing the look on his face she added. "If you don't want me upset, you won't let anything happen to Leon."  
  
When Isabel finished her statement Wesker let out a small sound, Isabel could have sworn was a growl. After a few minutes of silence, he spoke. "When are we going to tell Redfield?"  
  
Claire stared at him slack jawed. She couldn't believe he was going to help her. Claire was starting to think there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for Isabel.  
  
"I guess as soon as he comes down this morning for breakfast." Claire replied still in a bit of shock.  
  
"And you are not going to be there." Wesker stated, rounding on Isabel. His tone was not to be argued with.  
  
As if on cue Chris walked into the kitchen at that moment. He could feel the tension at his arrival. Looking at the expectant faces' of Isabel and Claire, he knew something was up.  
  
"Isabel, you need to go wait in the living room." Wesker said looking at her.  
  
"Does she have to?" Claire asked in a hushed tone.  
  
"Yes she does, if you want to do this." Wesker replied allowing a hint of annoyance to enter his voice.  
  
Isabel, knowing there was no use in arguing the point, used the kitchen table to help herself up, went into the living room and took a seat on the couch.  
  
Chris was totally lost, Wesker was standing next to Claire and with Isabel in the next room he had the distinct impression that whatever was about to happen, wasn't going to be good.  
  
"Chris, I need you to sit down a minute, I have something to talk to you about." Claire said, clearly nervous.  
  
"What the hell is going on, and why is he standing over you like some mother hen?" Chris asked, becoming more agitated by the minute.  
  
Wesker was getting impatient. He didn't want to be in the middle of this any longer than he had to.  
  
"Redfield, I'm not in the mood for this, sit down." Wesker snapped.  
  
"You can go to hell. This isn't any of your business." Chris shot back.  
  
"It's okay, he doesn't have to sit," Claire said cutting Wesker off as he opened his mouth to reply. Turning back to Chris she finished, "I um, I..."  
  
Looking down at her lap, Claire just couldn't seem to get the words out.  
  
"I believe what your sister is trying to say, is that she is expecting a child." Wesker finished for her, tired of the delay.  
  
Chris stood there like a statue. A thousand thoughts rushed through his head. I'm going to be an uncle, whoa, what am I saying, I'm going to kill Leon, I'm going to be an uncle, Kennedy is a dead man, I'm going to be an uncle. It took several seconds to process everything, when he'd finished Chris realized Claire was watching him a look of anticipation on her face. Then he remembered Wesker was in the kitchen also.  
  
"You had to have him in here when you told me?" He asked far more calmly than he felt.  
  
"I wasn't sure how you would react." She answered still apprehensive.  
  
"Claire, I'm an adult, I'm simply going to beat the living shit out of Leon and everything will be settled." He stated still far too calm, "Until then how are you feeling?"  
  
As if the day couldn't get any worse, Leon picked that exact moment to walk through the kitchen door.  
  
"Morning gu..." He trailed off, seeing the glare Chris shot him.  
  
Oh shit, he knows, he's going to kill me, I'm a dead man. Leon had the strong urge to run, but decided against it. He knew he would have to face up to his actions. What he couldn't figure out was why Claire had told Chris, knowing how he would react.  
  
"What do you plan on doing?" Chris asked before Claire could speak.  
  
"Do... about what?" Leon asked stumped by what was going on.  
  
"Chris, he doesn't know." Claire spoke up from her seat at the table.  
  
"Know what?" Leon asked again.  
  
The look on Leon's face was comical, a mixture of shock and horror. If this had been any other situation, Chris may have laughed. This was his sister he was talking about though and he wanted to know what Leon planned to do.  
  
"You got my sister pregnant, you ass." Chris yelled finally losing his cool.  
  
Claire had thought Leon couldn't look anymore shocked than he already did, she was wrong. At the news his face took on a dear in the head lights expression.  
  
Wow, I'm going to be a dad, oh shit, I'm dead. Leon just didn't know what to say. The first thing he wanted to do was get down on his knees and ask Claire to marry him. What came out of his mouth was the total opposite.  
  
"I guess I should pack."  
  
"Don't be a fool Kennedy." Wesker broke in, finally having enough of this drama.  
  
Leon looked at Wesker for the first time since entering the room. He hadn't even realized he was there with everything that was going on. For a moment Leon wondered what he was doing in the middle of this, it certainly wasn't his style. He usually didn't concern himself with anything that didn't affect Isabel, and she was safely planted on the couch. Then Leon realized that Isabel must have put Wesker up to this, to make sure nothing happened. Where he was located, right next to Claire, with his arms folded across his chest, told Leon that Wesker was supposed to be her support.  
  
Looking back at Claire, Leon saw the worry and tension on her face. She almost looked as upset as when Chris had first brought her back from the Antarctic. When she had finally told him what happened, Leon promised himself that Claire would never look that way again. It made him angry to see her like that now. Taking a page from Wesker's book he began.  
  
"What the hell do you want me to say? I love her and I'm not leaving her. If you don't like it to fucking bad and if you ever upset Claire like this again, you and I will have a go at it." Leon stated walking past Chris and going over to kneel in front of Claire.  
  
"I'm not asking you to marry me because of the baby. I'm asking you to marry me because I love you and can't see my life without you in it. Will you marry me, Claire Redfield?" He said looking into her blue eyes.  
  
It was Claire's turn to be shocked. She'd never seen Leon loose his temper like that. She had never seen anyone stand up to Chris like that either. Claire couldn't tell how Chris was taking it, his back was to her. All she knew right now was that she would follow the man that knelt before her through anything.  
  
"Yes, of course I'll marry you." She replied giving him a smile.  
  
Leon felt a hand on his shoulder and tensed instantly, readying himself for a blow, it never came.  
  
"Leon, take good care of her okay." Chris said from behind him.  
  
Chris hadn't expected Leon to react the way he did. He never thought Leon would defend Claire like that and that was the kind of person he wanted Claire to be with, someone who would protect her the way he would. Knowing that Leon would do that, didn't make everything alright, but it made it better. It made it easier for Chris to handle everything.  
  
"I will." Leon replied turning to look at Chris.  
  
"You had better or we will, how did you put it, have a go at it."  
  
Leon smiled at Chris and looked back at Claire, who was about to cry again.  
  
"Well, what a terrible way to find out your going to be a father." Leon said to her, wiping her tears away.  
  
Figuring his job was done Wesker walked towards the living room to check on Isabel, mumbling something.  
  
"What did he say?" Chris asked Claire.  
  
"I think he said it was better than the way he found out." She answered.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Leon asked.  
  
"Isabel told me that Wesker found out she was pregnant when he read the report on the blood work they did." Claire answered, shedding light on the subject.  
  
"Okay he wins." Leon stated, silently thanking Isabel for what she'd done. 


	16. Chapter 16

Yes I am uploading two chapters because they are kind of short, but we are near the end now so hope you enjoy. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------  
  
When Wesker walked into the living he wasn't in the best mood. It wasn't hard for Isabel to tell, he was always quieter when he wasn't happy.  
  
"Come sit by me." Isabel said, patting the space to her left on the couch.  
  
"I have things to do." He answered, walking over to stand in front of her.  
  
"Sit down anyway." She said, again patting the space next to her.  
  
Giving an exasperated sigh, Wesker sat next to Isabel. He knew she had something to say and she wouldn't give up until it was said.  
  
"You have something you want to talk about." It wasn't a question.  
  
Isabel just looked at his profile for a few minutes, before realizing he wasn't going to look directly at her. Albert was definitely not happy about having played mediator.  
  
"Albert, I have something to tell you... I'm pregnant. You're going to be a father." She said taking his right hand and placing it on her swollen stomach.  
  
"Of course.... So you heard?" He said finally taking off his sunglasses and looking at her.  
  
"Yes, I heard and it's the only thing in this whole situation I regret. I should have been the one to tell you, so I'm telling you now."  
  
"Are you sure? How far along are you?" Wesker asked playing the game for her sake.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure. To answer your other question I don't know how far, a couple of months at least." She answered laughing, unable to control the giggles that welled up in her.  
  
Isabel's laughter was contagious. Soon Wesker was smiling, his foul mood forgotten. He hadn't even noticed what she was doing until it was too late.  
  
"I don't deserve you." He said sobering and looking into her eyes.  
  
"But you have me." Isabel replied nestling closer to him.  
  
They sat that way in silence for a while, neither one needing to speak, just content to be near each other. It was Isabel who finally broke the silence.  
  
"OW!" She yelped clutching her left side.  
  
"What's wrong? You're not in labor, are you?" Wesker asked immediately alert.  
  
"No, your daughter just gave me a good kick in the ribs." She answered rubbing her side.  
  
"So it's my child when it does something you don't like?" He asked reaching for the spot she was rubbing and beginning to massage it lightly with his thumb.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And every other time?"  
  
"Oh, she's mine." Isabel replied smiling at him again.  
  
Wesker was about to tell her exactly what he thought about that theory, when Leon entered the room, tray in hand.  
  
"Claire and I realized we ruined your breakfast, so we made you some more." Leon said handing Isabel the tray.  
  
"You didn't have to bring in a tray. I have one built in right now." Isabel replied motioning to her stomach.  
  
"You are not going to use my child as a tray." Wesker spoke up giving her a stern look.  
  
"Why not, I wasn't going to plop it down on her head. Rebecca told me she turned last week. I think her butt can handle it." Isabel shot back but took tray and all.  
  
"You do realize one of these days your mouth is going to get you in trouble." Wesker said as he got off the couch and leaned over to give Isabel a kiss on the cheek.  
  
Swallowing her food she answered. "I thought it already had."  
  
Wesker didn't say a word. He just shook his head and walked to the bedroom to get ready for his trip. He hadn't told Isabel yet, but he needed to make a short trip to pick up her engagement ring. Wesker had decided he wanted to marry Isabel before the baby was born. The ring in question was his mother's and it had been in his family for generations, Wesker wanted Isabel to have it. Right now it sat at the house he'd grown up in. After his mother died, he kept the house, even now he wasn't sure why. No one from either corporation he'd worked for knew he owned it, so it would be safe enough to get the ring. Isabel still had a good week to go, so he figured he would be back in time.  
  
Soon after Wesker had gotten up, Claire and Chris joined Leon and Isabel in the living room. Chris sat in the arm chair that wasn't occupied by Leon and Claire sat in the spot recently vacated by Wesker.  
  
Isabel thought Albert was acting a little strange today, but couldn't put her finger on why. He'd been his usual attentive self, but she was beginning to think there was something he wasn't telling her. Isabel ate the rest of her food quietly lost in thought. It wasn't until Claire waved her hand in front of Isabel's face that she realized Claire was speaking to her.  
  
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Isabel asked snapping out of her trance.  
  
"I asked if you had any advice, one pregnant lady to another." Claire asked repeating herself.  
  
"Yes I do. For one, don't let Leon boss you around too much, and two make sure you sleep on the side of the bed that's closest to the bathroom." Isabel stated smiling.  
  
"Okay, you're not allowed to listen to Isabel anymore, except maybe on the bathroom thing." Leon said trying not to laugh.  
  
No one in the room could keep a straight face at that. Everyone knew that Leon would never try to boss Claire around, it just wasn't his style. Besides that Claire wasn't the type to be bossed by anyone. Knowing the tension that had pervaded the kitchen earlier, Isabel took it as a good sign that Chris was laughing with them.  
  
Wrapped up in their conversation no one noticed Carlos come down stairs, until he spoke.  
  
"Oh man, not another one. I mean great... another nine months of mood swings and weird cravings. That's it, I'm never touching Rebecca." Carlos said walking up to the back of the couch.  
  
Carlos had heard the whole conversation while coming down the stairs. He knew Leon had taken to sleeping in Claire's room, but thought it was because he was uncomfortable being in the same room with Rebecca and himself. Carlos had kept his word and was taking it slow with Rebecca, so they hadn't even talked about having sex yet. He just figured Leon wanted to give them privacy.  
  
"Carlos, dear, no one asked you." Isabel replied, in a feigned sweet tone.  
  
Still laughing at Carlos' reaction, Claire got up, collected Isabel's tray and took it to the kitchen.  
  
"Someone needs to help me up. I have to go to the little girl's room." Isabel said struggling to get off the couch.  
  
"Hey, I helped her up twice yesterday." Carlos said looking at Chris.  
  
"Yeah, well so did I." Chris shot back.  
  
"Okay rock, paper, scissors then." Carlos stated, trying not to laugh.  
  
"You two are asses," Leon said getting up and walking over to Isabel, "How do you want to do this?"  
  
"Just give me your hands and be my anchor so I can pull myself up."  
  
After a few minutes Isabel was on her feet and making her way to the bathroom. Turning around Leon saw that Carlos had slipped into the chair he had been sitting in.  
  
"You guys are real mature." Leon said looking from Chris to Carlos.  
  
"Gee, we were only playing, and besides you need the practice." Carlos said defending himself.  
  
Leon was about to call him an ass again, when Claire came back into the living room. He wasn't quite sure how to act around her. It was weird, Leon knew she was pregnant, but she wasn't showing any of the symptoms yet. There was nothing he could do for her, but he felt like he should be doing something. Leon was tempted to ask Wesker how he dealt with Isabel's pregnancy, but he had the feeling it wouldn't be well received. Isabel's re-entry into the living room pulled Leon out of his present thought.  
  
"Carlos, get out of the chair." Leon said looking at him.  
  
"I stole this chair fair and square." He replied.  
  
"It's not for me idiot, it might be easier for Isabel to get up from than the couch." He shot back.  
  
"Well, in that case be my guest." Carlos said rising so that Isabel could take a seat.  
  
Everyone noticed the change in Leon's mood. He'd gone from joking with the rest of them to irritable, almost instantly. Isabel was about to ask him about it when Wesker cam back in the room, duffle bag in hand.  
  
"I need to speak with Isabel, alone." He stated looking at her.  
  
Everyone took that as a not so subtle hint to get the hell out of the room. Chris, Claire and Leon all rose in unison from their seats, Carlos who hadn't sat back down made it to the kitchen first. Claire and Chris made it through the door before Leon and as he was about to leave the room Wesker spoke.  
  
"Kennedy I need to speak with you also."  
  
Leon stopped in his tracks, turning to face Wesker. He had no idea why Wesker wanted to speak to him. Leon had the feeling that he wasn't going to like the conversation. Walking back into the living room, he stood behind the couch quite uncomfortable.  
  
"Albert, what's going on?" Isabel asked her voice full of concern.  
  
"I'm going to get your engagement ring." He answered crouching down in front of her.  
  
"Why do you need the bag, there's a jewelry store in town."  
  
"The ring I want you to have was my mother's and I have to go pick it up. I'll only be gone two days, three at the most. I fully expect you to still be pregnant when I return." Wesker gave her a slight smile at his last statement.  
  
"Yes captain." She replied smiling back.  
  
"I love you, and I will be back as soon as humanly possible." He finished, kissing her on the lips.  
  
Isabel took the news better than Wesker had expected. He could still see the worry in her green eyes and for an instant he almost faltered. To Wesker it was very important for Isabel to have this symbol from him. In the month and a half since he'd proposed, she had not once brought the subject back up. It seemed enough for Isabel to know he wanted her as his wife. She seemed content with the way things were, but Wesker wanted her to know, he meant what he said.  
  
Isabel was slightly surprised that Albert would show such a display of affection with someone in the room. It passed quickly though, worry taking it's place. She didn't want him to leave. Isabel wanted him here where she knew he was safe. Albert seemed so set on this that she didn't have the heart to ask him to stay and Isabel knew that all she would have to do was ask him to stay, at least until the baby was born and he would.  
  
When he'd finished kissing her good bye, Wesker turned to look at Leon.  
  
"Kennedy, I trust you will make sure that Isabel isn't allowed to do anything to strenuous while I'm away.  
  
"Um, okay." Leon answered; not at all sure he wanted to be in charge of Isabel.  
  
"Good." With that Wesker picked up his bag and walked out of the house.  
  
After a few minutes they heard Wesker's jeep start up and pull away.  
  
"So do I get hazard pay for this?" Leon asked breaking the awkward silence.  
  
Both he and Isabel smiled at his question as the rest of the group filed back into the living room.  
  
"What was that all about?" Chris asked sitting back down in the arm chair, he'd vacated earlier.  
  
Isabel couldn't help herself. She wanted to get Chris and Carlos back for their joke earlier. Letting herself tear up, Isabel put her hands to her face.  
  
"Albert left. He said he couldn't pretend anymore. He said he'd be back from time to time to check on the baby, but he realized he didn't love me." Isabel said, her voice muffled by her hands.  
  
In an instant Chris was out of his chair and crouched in front of Isabel.  
  
"It's okay, everything will be fine. You don't need him. We'll take care of you." He said, reaching up to take her hands in his. He really hated Wesker now, how could he do this so close to her due date?  
  
"The little one will have all three of us, for fathers" Carlos said, coming over to put his arms around her shoulders.  
  
Claire was about to go over to Isabel also, when she saw the look on Leon's face. He was trying his hardest not to laugh, lucky for him the other two men in the room were so focused on Isabel they didn't see him losing it. Claire had a feeling that what ever Isabel was up too, her brother and Carlos deserved it.  
  
"I just don't know what I'm going to do. I can't do this by myself." Isabel continued her shoulders beginning to shake, not with tears, but laughter.  
  
"Isabel, don't upset yourself. He isn't worth it." Chris said, not sure what else to do.  
  
"There's just one more thing I need to tell you," Isabel said, wiping tears from her eyes, "Gotcha."  
  
Leon and Claire burst into laughter, along with Isabel. Carlos and Chris didn't know what to say, they just stood there with their mouths open.  
  
"Damn, Isabel that wasn't funny." Chris finally said when the shock wore off. What she pulled was the last thing he would have expected from her.  
  
"Good, remember that next time, I need help getting up." She replied straight faced.  
  
"I'm never messing with you again," Carlos said going to sit on the couch, "You're wicked."  
  
"So what did Wesker really want?" Claire asked, sitting next to Carlos on the couch.  
  
"He went to get my engagement ring. He left Leon in charge of my wellbeing." Isabel answered.  
  
"Sucks to be you, man." Carlos said, looking back at Leon who was still standing behind the couch.  
  
There was no way Carlos would want to have to answer to Wesker, on anything, especially Isabel. Leon looked as though he were taking it pretty well, he only looked slightly nauseous. What Carlos couldn't figure out was why Leon? Chris had more or less been their leader. Even though everyone had a say on any decision made, they usually followed his lead. Chris was who Carlos would have picked to look out for Rebecca in such a situation. Not that it really mattered, everyone would look after Isabel. She was an important part of their group. If Chris was their unofficial leader and the father figure of the household, then some how Isabel had become the mother figure. Everyone at one time or another had turned to her for advice or help. It was funny how she had seemed to merge with them, even in such a short period of time. Thinking about the group dynamic, Carlos suddenly realized Isabel was the oldest member, being a year older than Chris.  
  
"Isabel, I just realized you're the oldest one here." Carlos stated in amazement.  
  
"It's okay Carlos, there are classes for slow learners, we'll enroll you in one." Claire said patting him on the back encouragingly.  
  
"Seeing how your in a delicate condition, I'm going to ignore that Redfield." He shot back.  
  
At the mention of Claire's pregnancy Leon lost all trace of humor on his face. Watching Carlos and Claire bicker back and forth for a moment, he decided to go to his room and try to figure a few things out. No one but Isabel noticed him walk quietly up the stairs.  
  
"Carlos, get your ass over here and help me up." Isabel said, breaking up his conversation with Chris and Claire.  
  
"Not another bathroom break?" He replied rolling his eyes.  
  
"Oliviera, just do it."  
  
"Damn woman, you've been around Wesker too long, you're starting to sound like him." Carlos stated getting off the couch and helping her up.  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment." Isabel replied heading for the stairs. 


	17. Chapter 17

HIYA! Thanks Mr. or Mrs. Lemon glad you like it so far though we are near the end, but there shall be a sequel. Dark Chylde 57 glad you still like it. Everyone else also.  
  
Isabel didn't relish going up the stairs, it seemed gravity had it in for her anymore. Where she had once been able to take the stairs two at a time, it now seemed to take forever for her to get to the top. Knocking on Leon's door, there was a long pause before she was answered with a wry, "come in." Entering the room Isabel was greeted with Leon the sitting cross legged on the bed, elbows on his knees, and his chin resting on both hands. He looked so serious, but yet the sight of him sitting there like that reminded Isabel of a little boy, thinking over important issues.  
  
When Leon realized it was Isabel at his door, his posture changed. He sat up straight and started to get up to help her to a seat. She stopped him with a wave of her hand.  
  
"Do you want to sit on the chair or the bed? Which will be easier for you to get up from?" He asked anxiously.  
  
"You know what I'd really like? To lay on my stomach, but it doesn't really matter either way you're going to need a crane to get me back up." She replied with a slight laugh.  
  
Leon gave a slight smile at her joke, but any talk about pregnancy just put him more on edge. Even though his facial expression didn't change, she could feel him tense up.  
  
"I know something's bothering you about Claire being pregnant. Everyone can feel it." Isabel dove right in.  
  
"Sure they can." He said under his breath.  
  
"What?" Isabel asked not quite catching what he said.  
  
"Nothing, Isabel you should sit down." This time he did get off the bed and ushering her to the chair.  
  
"Now you're starting to sound like Albert."  
  
"You shouldn't be worrying about me right now."  
  
Leon didn't like the fact that Isabel had come all the way up here to find out what was wrong with him. Of course he should have known she would check on him. He should have stayed down stairs until Isabel took her nap, but he knew that even if he had she would still have known.  
  
"If you don't want to talk to me maybe you would be more comfortable talking to Chris or Carlos." Isabel offered after a moment of silence.  
  
"No Carlos would make a big joke out of it and Chris is still a little touchy about the whole thing." Leon said, sitting back on the bed.  
  
"Oh, I think Carlos is a lot more mature than that."  
  
"Couldn't prove it by me."  
  
Isabel smiled at Leon's reaction. She knew that Carlos was an intelligent, caring individual, why no one else saw that was beyond her. Maybe it was because he was the first one to welcome her and had been kind from the beginning, but Isabel had a soft spot for Carlos.  
  
"I didn't come up all those stairs to talk about Carlos. I want to know what's bothering you." She stated, switching the conversation.  
  
"It's really stupid." Leon answered looking down at his shoes.  
  
"Tell me anyway." Isabel said, rolling the desk chair right in front of where he sat.  
  
Leon looked up into Isabel's face and seeing the determination there, he knew she wouldn't stop until she got her answers. The only thing he could do was give them to her.  
  
"I feel like I should be doing something. Claire's pregnant with my baby and I feel useless to her. She doesn't need me, at least if she had morning sickness I could hold her hair out of her face while she was sick or something." He stated looking back down at his feet.  
  
Isabel just smiled and shook her head. How little he knew.  
  
"Believe me when I say the last thing Claire will probably want is you in the bathroom with her while retching her guts up. If Albert had been here when I went through that lovely stage, he'd probably be dead."  
  
Instead of laughing like Isabel had intended him too, Leon looked even more depressed.  
  
"Great, so I'll be of no use then." He replied looking up at her again.  
  
"Leon, you just have to be patient. She will need you, but you have to let her tell you when. Knowing Claire she'll make it very clear when she needs your help. You and Albert did your jobs, now Claire and I have the hard part."  
  
Leon finally gave a slight smile at her last statement.  
  
"Besides in a couple of month's she'll hit the point where she won't let you out of bed."  
  
At the last remark Isabel made, Leon turned pink, but none the less let out a heartfelt laugh. Shaking his head he couldn't believe she had just implied what she had.  
  
"So that's what you and Wesker were doing all those times we couldn't find you." He replied his smile growing wider.  
  
It was Isabel's turn to blush, but she too burst into laughter. It seemed that Leon was feeling better about his doubts. Taking his hand in hers, Isabel placed it on her stomach in the spot where Rosalie had decided to kick. Seeing his face light up she knew it was the right thing to do.  
  
"This is all that matter's in the end, this little life that you get to nurture and guide. You're going to be a great father, ask Claire, your kind, caring, compassionate, and intelligent. So you're out of the loop for the first few months, you get to make up for that the rest of your life."  
  
"How did you get so wise?"  
  
"Dealing with you guys, one has to learn fast. Do you feel better now?"  
  
"Yes, I have a question though. Why are you always so concerned about us, I mean you seem to worry about us more than we worry about each other sometimes?"  
  
Isabel didn't know how to answer him. With her mother they had always talked about what was bothering her. Isabel's mother always said holding things in wasn't productive. Besides she never liked seeing the people she cared about upset or hurt.  
  
"You're my family. Everyone has been there for me and has taken care of me and Rosalie." She finally answered, lifting herself out of the chair after a bit of a struggle.  
  
"Rosalie is it? You sound pretty sure there.... Hey, I thought you couldn't do that." Leon exclaimed in surprise.  
  
"That seat was easy. The couch is something else and don't tell Carlos, but I can get out of the arm chair by myself, even though I made him help me earlier." Isabel finished with a conspiratorial tone, grinning.  
  
"Your secret is safe with me. Come on we should go back down stairs, before people think we're up to something."  
  
"You mean planning on taking over the living room?" She replied still grinning.  
  
"Yeah, something like that." Leon answered opening the bedroom door.  
  
When Isabel didn't immediately follow him into the hallway he stopped and turned around to look at her. She had a weird look on her face, a mixture of shock, horror, and excitement. Walking back into the room Leon had no idea what Isabel was thinking about. Before he could speak she was talking.  
  
"Do you think it's too late to get Albert back here?" She asked looking into his eyes.  
  
"Oh no, you can't do this to me." Leon stated, walking over to her and putting his arm around her shoulder.  
  
"I'm pretty sure I just had a contraction." She replied, placing her hands on her stomach.  
  
"Are you sure it isn't false labor? That happens, right?" Leon was now almost in a panic.  
  
Leon was answered not by Isabel, but by the sudden gush of liquid that hit his sneakers and the floor, splashing the legs of his jeans and the surrounding area with droplets of amniotic fluid.  
  
"Um, does that answer your question?" Isabel asked in a small voice.  
  
"Yep, that'll about do it. Here lay down on my bed, I'll go call Rebecca." He said trying to steer her towards the bed.  
  
"No, I want to do this in my room." Isabel stated, putting her hand over the one he had wrapped around her shoulder.  
  
Isabel couldn't believe this was happening. An hour ago she'd thought Rosalie was going to stay where she was for another week maybe more. Now she knew you just couldn't predict these things. It seemed her daughter had decided to meet everyone. Walking slowly to the door, Isabel waited until she and Leon were in the hall before speaking.  
  
"She's making a liar out of me. I told myself this morning she was happy where she was and wouldn't make an appearance for awhile."  
  
Leon answered her with a snort. He wondered just how pissed Wesker was going to be about this little hiccup in his plan. Leon didn't really think Wesker would blame him, these things happened, but he wouldn't be happy about missing the birth of his child.  
  
"Are you sure you can make it down the steps?" Leon asked as they came to the stairs.  
  
"Yes, I'm not going to give birth right this instant. This could take hours. My mother once told me she was in labor with me for ten hours." She finished with a grimace.  
  
"So I don't suppose we'll luck out and you could stay in labor until Wesker gets back, huh?" Leon joked, not so much to calm Isabel down, but to calm himself down.  
  
"Yeah, I don't think so." She replied as they reached the bottom stair.  
  
Leon had to give it to Isabel. She was taking this pretty well. Isabel must have nerves of steel. She and Wesker were pretty well matched in that area. Both of them seemed to stay calm in almost any situation. The only time he'd ever seen her really upset was the night they had walked in to find the dresser on the floor.  
  
"Where are you two going, you seem attached at the hip today?" Carlos asked as Leon and Isabel walked past the couch.  
  
"I'm in labor and I'm going to go lie down." Isabel said in the way someone might announce they were going for pizza.  
  
No one moved a muscle or uttered a syllable for a couple of seconds. Everyone jolted out of their daze at the same time, getting up, Chris Claire and Carlos surrounded Isabel and Leon in a semicircle. All of them were talking at once at what seemed the top of their lungs.  
  
"If the three of you don't get out of the way..." Leon's firm voice cut through all the commotion.  
  
Everyone immediately became silent. Leon was setting some kind of record for himself, he was usually the most soft spoken of the group. Twice in one day he had shown his temper. Quietly the group parted to allow them passage to the hallway. Once Leon had Isabel sitting on the bed he tried to figure out what to do next.  
  
"Chris, go call Becca. Claire help Isabel get out of those clothes and into some kind of night shirt or something." Leon said once again taking charge.  
  
No one argued with him, the men left the room to give Isabel some privacy while she changed. Once they were alone, Claire stood nervously by the bed, unsure exactly how to help her. Isabel on the other hand was the picture of calm, sitting there with a slight smile on her face.  
  
"What do you need me to do?" Claire finally asked.  
  
"Well in the top drawer there's a night gown, if you could get it for me that would be great." Isabel replied beginning to unbutton her shirt.  
  
As Claire brought the night gown to the bed Isabel was already three fourths of the way undressed. Handing Isabel the night gown, Claire watched as she deftly pulled it over head and freeing her arms from the material, undressed the rest of the way.  
  
"Are you nervous or excited?" Claire asked picking up the clothing Isabel had just discarded.  
  
"Both, I just wish Albert were here." Isabel said sitting back on the bed.  
  
"Do you think he'll be really angry about this?"  
  
"No, I think, he'll be hurt he missed the birth, but he won't be angry. Will you go tell the boys they can come back in, I'm decent?"  
  
Isabel laid back and closed her eyes, trying to rest while she could. She knew that by the end of this she was probably going to be exhausted. Isabel knew it would be worth it though, hopefully before tomorrow she would have her baby in her arms. She was just praying that it wasn't going to be a long labor. Ten hours seemed like an eternity right now. The first contraction hadn't seemed that bad, just a slight twinge, and hadn't lasted very long. Isabel hadn't had another one yet, she just felt slightly uncomfortable. Her back was beginning to throb a little. It wasn't too bad, just a slight back ache.  
  
Opening the door Claire saw that Leon was standing right outside. She was surprised at the way he had taken charge, he wasn't a follower, who looked to other people to lead, but since living in the house, he like everyone else usually deferred to Chris on decisions. Leon wasn't week by any means, just a good solider. He didn't have the in your face personality of Chris or Carlos, he was more subtle about things. It was funny that she should think of it at a time like this, but everyone in the house seemed to pair up with their complete opposite. Chris was a take charge, rush in guns blazing, and ask questions later kind of guy. Jill was cool and reserved, she always thought things through and found solutions that weren't obvious on first pass. Carlos was outlandish, and could be loud at times. He was very opinionated and macho beyond belief. Rebecca was calm and quiet, almost shy at times. And she hardly ever lost her temper. Then there was Leon intelligent and dependable. He thought things through never making rash decisions, and he was honest and giving. Claire knew herself pretty well. She was stubborn and reckless, usually acting before she thought. The best way to describe herself was a female version of her brother. Then there was the weirdest match of them all, Albert Wesker and Isabel Landen. If Wesker was the closest thing to a demon on earth, then Isabel was the closest thing to a saint. The weird thing was that even though their actions and moral were at opposite ends of the spectrum, their cores were the same. Both of them were all fire and passion, they were so similar, yet so very different.  
  
"You can come in now." Claire said snapping out of her thoughts.  
  
Leon smiled at her and entered the room. Claire was looking at him, waiting for him to give the next set of orders. He hadn't realized it until this moment but everyone had accepted his authority in this matter. They had all done what they were told with out question, even Chris. Looking into Claire's beautiful face, he found himself moving towards her. When they were no more than an inch apart from each other, Leon wrapped his arms around Claire and pulled her into a very intense kiss.  
  
Lifting his head when the kiss was finished, he saw the slightly dazed look on Claire's face.  
  
"What was that for?" She asked slightly breathless.  
  
"It's because I love you." He answered smiling.  
  
"I love you too, but if you keep kissing me like that we'll be up to our eyes in little Kennedys around here."  
  
"Okay, but let's focus on this one right now, we'll worry about the rest later." He replied placing his hand on her still flat abdomen.  
  
"Actually, we should concentrate on that one." Claire said turning to look at Isabel, who still had her eyes closed.  
  
"Your right I don't know what I was thinking." Leon replied his good mood put aside for the moment.  
  
"You were thinking how much you love her." Isabel stated from the bed, still not opening her eyes content to just listen to what was going on.  
  
It made Isabel feel more at peace, when they were acting normally around her right now. She didn't like all the feelings of anxiousness and how tense everyone seemed to be. It put her on edge and she didn't think that would be good for the baby right now. She just needed to get everyone to relax.  
  
Leon let go of Claire and walked over to the bed to sit next to Isabel, asking.  
  
"How are you feeling?"  
  
"Pretty good just a little uncomfortable right now." Isabel answered smiling at him.  
  
Again all Isabel could think was how much she wished Albert were here. For some reason she felt if he were hear everything would be okay, nothing bad would happen. He was going to pay for this when he got back him and his stupid ring.  
  
"I got a hold of Rebecca. She said she'd be here as soon as she can. That's still a good half hour to forty five minutes though." Chris said, walking into the room.  
  
Seeing Isabel so calm, Chris wondered how she did it. He felt jittery, as if he were about to jump out of his skin. If this was how he reacted with Isabel, then he couldn't imagine what he'd do when he and Jill have children.  
  
"I found some cards I thought we'd play. If you're up to it." Carlos came through the door a few minutes later, holding up the deck of cards.  
  
Carlos had been just as anxious as the rest of them when Isabel announced she was in labor, but for him it had passed quickly. He'd taken his cue from Isabel, if she wasn't sweating it yet then neither would he.  
  
"That would be great," Isabel said brightening, "But if it's strip poker I'm at a slight disadvantage right now."  
  
Claire and Chris chuckled at her last statement. Carlos just stood there, not quiet sure if she were serious or not. His humor got the better of him and he too started to laugh. Leon didn't find it amusing at all he just sat there stone faced, taking his responsibility seriously. Couldn't they see this was no time to joke?  
  
"You don't approve of my joke?" Isabel asked Leon, with a disapproving look of her own.  
  
"This isn't really the time for jokes, this is important." He answered.  
  
Isabel gave him a gentle smile and placed her hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I'm about to give life to a new being, not about to die. I want my child to be born to the sounds of laughter and feelings of love, not the tenseness you're carrying around. I love you, your part of my family, but if you can't relax then I don't need you in this room, and don't look at me like that if Albert were doing the same thing he'd be out too."  
  
Leon just looked at her, in the nicest possible way Isabel was throwing him out.  
  
"I promised... I need to be here, I owe you that much. If it weren't for you MY child wouldn't be on the way."  
  
"Then you had better start laughing at my jokes."  
  
"Well maybe if they were funnier I would." Leon shot back finally grinning at her.  
  
As Isabel was about to answer him back, her second contraction started. It was a little more intense and lasted a few minutes more than the last one. It still wasn't too bad though and she figured that if they stayed like this, it was going to be a walk in the park.  
  
"I just had another contraction." She stated calmly.  
  
Isabel figured it would be best to keep them apprized of what was happening. It seemed to make them feel better if they knew what was going on. She could tell that Leon was starting to tense up again at the mere mention of the word contraction. He caught himself quickly though, not wanting to be sent out of the room.  
  
"Chris, Leon, can I speak with you outside for a minute?" Claire asked from the door way.  
  
In her opinion Carlos had it right. If Isabel wasn't totally freaking out, then neither should they. Women had babies' everyday and right now she planned on using this as a learning experience. In a few months she'd have to go through this, all though she fully intended to have her child in a hospital with lots of Doctors around. Seeing the looks on her brother's and Leon's faces, she knew they were still worried and Isabel didn't need to be worrying about them or trying to keep their spirits up. They should be doing that for her. They should be putting her at ease not the other way around.  
  
Chris had no idea what his sister wanted, but she didn't look happy. At least Leon was on her list as well. He wouldn't be the only one having his ass handed to him.  
  
Leon knew exactly what she wanted to talk about and wasn't looking forward to it. Having two pregnant women that he cared about upset with him was slightly too much to handle at this point. He didn't know whether he wanted to laugh or scream at the top of his lungs.  
  
Both Chris and Leon silently followed Claire in to the living room. Turning to look at the two men she loved most in the world, she didn't speak. She just gave them a disapproving look. After a moment of silence Chris started to speak, but she cut him off.  
  
"You two need to get a grip on yourselves. Carlos has the right idea, if Isabel isn't worried at this point neither should we. She doesn't need to deal with us right now. It isn't her job to make us feel better. It's our job to put her at ease." Claire finished with a deep breath.  
  
Chris stared speechless for a moment before trying to defend himself.  
  
"I didn't do anything. I'm not allowed to be worried about all this?"  
  
"We are all a little worried, but can't you see how much it's stressing Isabel out to see you two like this?" She asked back.  
  
"I think we'll all feel a little better once Rebecca gets here, which is hopefully soon." Leon spoke up.  
  
"Of course we will, but I've decided you two are staying out here until that happens." Claire stated crossing her arms over her chest.  
  
"What!?" Both men exclaimed in unison.  
  
"You heard me, so park it. Carlos and I are going to play cards with Isabel." She said heading back to the bedroom.  
  
Both Chris and Leon looked at each other with expressions of disbelief.  
  
"Um, so what do you want to watch?" Leon asked after a moment.  
  
"I'm not watching anything. I'm going back in there and keeping an eye on Isabel." Chris said heading the way his sister just had.  
  
"She seemed pretty set. We had best stay out here until Rebecca gets home." Leon called after him.  
  
When Chris opened the door to Isabel's room he was greeted with Isabel's laughter. Carlos was sitting cross legged at the foot of the bed, with what seemed every card in the deck and was still picking cards from the pile on the bed. Claire was piling more pillows behind Isabel for support. She too was smiling at what ever had been said. Standing to the side of Isabel, so that she couldn't see her face, Claire gave him a look that said he better get out.  
  
"I want to play too." Chris spoke up, sounding like a little kid.  
  
"Okay, but you have to get Leon so he isn't alone." Isabel said smiling at him.  
  
Before Claire could say a word Chris left the room to go get Leon. He found him not in the Living room, but the kitchen sitting at the table.  
  
"She throw you back out?" Leon asked, looking at Chris.  
  
"No, I came out to get you. Isabel says she wants us all in there right now." Chris answered.  
  
It didn't take much prompting for Leon to get up and make his ways back to her room.  
  
"We've been waiting for you. Carlos wanted to start another game, but we made him wait." Isabel said when she saw Chris and Leon walk in.  
  
Leon smiled at her and walked towards the bed. She seemed in pretty good spirits.  
  
"What are we playing?" Chris asked from behind Leon.  
  
"Go fish and she's a card shark." Carlos answered.  
  
"Hey, just because you now owe me your truck doesn't mean I'm a card shark." Isabel replied laughing again.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Leon asked breaking up their bickering.  
  
"Leon Scott Kennedy if you ask me that one more time I'm gonna..."  
  
"You're gonna what? As far as I can see you are in no shape too..." Leon was cut off mid sentence as a pillow smacked him in the face.  
  
"Isabel, you have a pretty good arm." Chris said laughing.  
  
Isabel just smiled at him. They were playing along and it made her happy. They were finally loosening up. She was right in the middle of laughing with them, when her third contraction started. Again it was more intense than the last time and lasted longer. This time everyone in the room could tell what was happening. Isabel became very quiet, almost holding her breath until it was over."  
  
"These things are getting worse." She stated rubbing her stomach.  
  
"They're supposed to. You didn't think this was going to be painless did you?" Rebecca asked from the door.  
  
No one had heard Rebecca's car pull up or her enter the house. They had all been caught up in what was going on in the room. At her entrance you could almost hear the collective sigh of relief everyone let out.  
  
"Okay, everyone out. I need to check Isabel to see how far along she is." Rebecca voice rang with authority.  
  
Since Isabel's arrival, Rebecca had transferred from being an emergency room nurse to a pre-natal nurse. Even though she was an M.D. she had decided when they went into hiding that being so young if she went in as a doctor it would be easier for Umbrella to track her down. So she'd become a nurse, not wanting to stray to far from her chosen field. Rebecca had been at countless deliveries in the last four months and with all the studying she'd done, Rebecca was confident she could do this.  
  
No one argued with Rebecca, as she began to prepare for the exam everyone left the room shutting the door behind them.  
  
"Okay, Chris didn't give me a lot of information on the phone. How long have you been in labor?" Rebecca asked, motioning for Isabel to lay back.  
  
"My water broke about an hour ago." Isabel answered looking at the clock to check the time.  
  
"How many contractions have you had and how far apart?"  
  
"Three, but I wasn't paying attention to how close they were. I guess a half hour between the first two and twenty between the last." Isabel answered again.  
  
The rest of the exam was conducted in silence. When Rebecca was finished she helped Isabel back up into a sitting position.  
  
"Now for a really important question, how do you feel?" Rebecca asked sitting next to Isabel on the bed.  
  
"You wouldn't believe how many times I've been asked that in the last hour." Isabel said wrinkling her nose.  
  
"So let me rephrase the question then. How is everyone else holding up?"  
  
Fine, but I thought Leon was going to burst an artery there for a while. Speaking of everyone, why don't you let them back in."  
  
Rebecca didn't say anything as she went to get everyone. She didn't understand why Leon was so worried. The way Isabel had talked you would think he was the expectant father. Speaking of which where is Wesker? Rebecca asked herself. As she walked into the living room four expectant faces turned towards her.  
  
"So?" Leon was the first to speak.  
  
"She has hours yet. What did you guys expect for me to get home and wiggle my nose and the baby would be here?" Rebecca asked rolling her eyes.  
  
"Well no but..."  
  
But what? You need to calm down these things take time." Rebecca stated, her expression softening at the look on his face.  
  
"Any way I came out here to get you. You can go back now. I do have one question, where's Wesker?"  
  
"He left to get Isabel's ring this morning before all this started." Claire answered for the group.  
  
"Okay then when will he be back, an hour or two?"  
  
"Try day or two, I'm in charge of Isabel." Leon answered.  
  
Everything seemed to fall into place now. Rebecca finally understood why Leon was so on edge. He had a lot of responsibility on him right now. She truly felt sorry for him. Wesker wasn't going to like this.  
  
"So you'll be in the delivery room." It wasn't a question, Rebecca was telling him.  
  
"I want to be there also." Claire spoke up.  
  
"Well as long as we have that set then." Rebecca stated as they entered the bedroom.  
  
It had been four hours and Isabel's good mood was all but forgotten. She seemed to be in constant pain. The slight back ache had turned into a full fledged throbbing mass of muscles, which Leon constantly massaged for her, so that it was bearable. Her contractions were so close together that Isabel felt she barely had time to catch her breath before the next one hit and the pressure she felt on her lower half seemed to intensify by the minute.  
  
"Look what I almost forgot." Chris said holding up a small camcorder and turning it on.  
  
"Christopher Redfield get that damn thing out of here." Isabel said, glaring at him.  
  
"Now Isabel, what happened to the baby being born to laughter and feelings of love?" Leon asked from behind her, where he was still rubbing her back.  
  
Isabel could tell he was laughing back there and it didn't help her mood.  
  
"Kennedy if I didn't need you right now you'd be with the camcorder, which I want out of here now." She finished again glaring at Chris.  
  
"Isabel this way Wesker can see the birth, since he can't be here." Chris said defending himself.  
  
Isabel was about to speak when yet again she was interrupted by the worst contraction yet.  
  
"I hate you when your being logical." She finally stated panting.  
  
Chris just chuckled at her but continued taping everything. Everyone could feel they were getting close to the end and there was a definite air of excitement in the room. Everyone except poor Isabel was smiling like idiots. Isabel on the other hand looked exhausted.  
  
"Okay I'm going to check her again. Carlos, you and Chris should probably just stay in the living room this time. She's really close." Rebecca stated ushering them out of the room.  
  
"What about this?" Chris asked holding up the camcorder.  
  
"I'll take it so no one misses a thing." Claire stated taking the device from him.  
  
It was another half hour before the baby was ready to make an appearance. Isabel's contractions came one on top of the other and the pressure from the baby was almost unbearable.  
  
"I feel like I need to push." Isabel finally stated, looking at Rebecca.  
  
"Alright then, Leon I want you to support her back when she pushes. Isabel on your next contraction I want you to push. Leon when she starts count to ten, when he gets there, Isabel I want you to stop." Rebecca gave her orders.  
  
At the next contraction Isabel did as told lifting her upper body to push, as Leon came to ten she stopped. Relaxing her body once again, waiting for the next contraction. They repeated this process three times when suddenly Isabel felt the pressure ease and the contractions lessen.  
  
"Isabel, you have a beautiful baby girl." Rebecca's excited voice exclaimed.  
  
Rebecca wasn't giving her time to process the information though.  
  
"Okay on the next contraction I need you to push again and then your done." She said, laying the baby on a towel that had been prepared for it.  
  
When the next contraction started Isabel gave one final push, when Rebecca gave her the okay she stopped, thankful her job was done. Isabel just wanted to lay back and rest, her body still ached slightly and she was becoming extremely sleepy. Through half closed eyes she saw Rebecca carry her daughter into the bathroom to clean her up. Second later they were rewarded with an unhappy cry. After a few more minutes Rebecca came back out and handed the little bundle she carried to Leon, who excepted it nervously.  
  
"Shouldn't Isabel get to hold her?" he asked eyeing the infant in his arms.  
  
"I need Isabel to lie back again so I can clean her up." Rebecca answered walking back into the bathroom for more towels, "Then I need to move her so we can clean everything else up."  
  
With the help of Claire Isabel stood up so that Rebecca could change the bedding and pick up the towels they had placed under her to save the mattress. Rebecca worked fast and in moments mother and daughter were tucked back in bed. The used sheet and towels were placed in a trash bag for pick up on garbage day.  
  
"If someone will get Chris and Carlos, I'll properly introduce everyone to my daughter." Isabel said with a tired smile on her face.  
  
It seemed that Leon had just left the room when all three returned. Chris, Leon and Claire stood on her right. Carlos and Rebecca her left.  
  
"Everyone, I want you to meet Rosalie Ann Wesker, she's named after Albert's mother." Looking at her daughter she continued. "Rosalie, these are your aunts and uncles, well all except for Jill who's at work, you'll meet her tonight."  
  
With that Rosalie was passed to each member of her family. Each person marveled at her for a few moments then passed her on the next, until she came to Claire.  
  
"I can't do that, Leon don't make me do that." Claire said almost pleadingly.  
  
"It's a little late for that Claire.' Chris said, taking the baby back and handing it to Isabel.  
  
Chris was rewarded with a glare from both Claire and Leon.  
  
"Did I miss something?" Rebecca asked looking from Claire to Chris.  
  
"With all the commotion we forgot to tell you. Claire found out she's pregnant today." Leon explained.  
  
"Congratulations, I think." Rebecca replied looking at he expression on Chris's face.  
  
"I'm still getting used to the idea, but I think congratulations is good." Chris answered.  
  
"Guys I hate to break this up, but I'm extremely tired and since she's sleeping could someone get the bassinette so we could take a nap." Isabel asked yawning.  
  
"Of course." Chris answered.  
  
As he was about to open the door to go out, Jill was opening the door to come in. Luckily he reacted quickly and didn't get smacked in the face.  
  
"What's going on back here are you having a party?" Jill asked looking at Chris.  
  
"Yes we're having a birthday party, come meet Rosalie." Isabel said from the bed.  
  
"OH MY GOD, you didn't." Jill exclaimed rushing to the bed.  
  
"I did, here you can hold her a minute."  
  
"She's beautiful she has Wesker's blonde hair."  
  
At that moment Rosalie decided to open her eyes for a second, it happened so fast Jill almost missed it.  
  
"She has his eyes also." She finished looking at Isabel.  
  
"Really, I haven't seen them yet." Isabel stated  
  
"Yes, she's her father's daughter." Jill replied  
  
While Jill had been investigating her new niece Chris had gotten the bassinette and placed it with in an arms reach of the bed.  
  
"Okay Jill lay her down, Isabel needs to rest." Chris said placing his hand on her shoulder.  
  
As Jill laid Rosalie in her bed everyone else filtered out of the room. Isabel was already asleep as Jill closed the door when she too left. 


	18. chapter 18

Well everyone this is it the last but I do have a sequel on the way soon. But I would like to thank everyone who has taken time to read the story and a special thanks for those who had reviewed it. I'll leave you to read now. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
Wesker had been driving a day straight the only time he stopped was to refuel his jeep. He was trying to make this trip as short as possible, pushing himself to get back to Isabel. Pulling onto his old street, instinct seemed to take over, guiding Wesker to his mother's house. It had been twenty years since Wesker had been on this street. After his mother had died and he had been recruited by Umbrella he had never returned. Wesker did have someone come in once a week to clean the house and keep the yard trimmed.  
  
Wesker always thought of himself as being beyond sentimentality, but for some reason he had kept the property. The house was just as Wesker remembered as he pulled into the driveway. Painted a light yellow color, a small concrete porch surrounded by a cast iron fence allowed entrance to the front door. The front yard was small, only running the width of the house and stretching from the sidewalk up to the porch, which was only about five yards. A small walk cut through the yard, connecting the sidewalk to the porch. There were no brightly colored flowers as with the other houses on the street, the only vegetation was the neatly trimmed grass. The driveway Wesker stood on was a little to the left of the house, only wide and long enough for one car, all the houses on the street were built the same way, the driveways putting enough space between the houses so that they weren't right on top of each other. Taking a short cut through the grass, in his minds eye Wesker could see his old bike leaning against the railing, as it had always done. Walking up the cement steps onto the porch, he searched his key chain for the key that would open the front door.  
  
Walking into the house, it too was how Wesker remembered it. The stairs that lead up to the bedrooms stood before him in the entryway. To his right was the family room to his left was the living room and kitchen. Unable to stop himself, Wesker walked to his left. It was like walking back in time. As he walked through the living room Wesker recalled how his mother had used it for special occasions only. When his father's parents would visit, that's where everyone would sit after dinner drinking coffee. Wesker could again, in his minds eye see Rosalie Wesker sitting there on the couch, coffee mug in hand. He had gotten his blonde hair from her and at one time he'd had her dark blue eyes. Other than that his mother and grandparents had all agreed he looked like his father. Pulling himself back to the present he walked through the living room and into the kitchen where the most vivid memory yet hit him.  
  
He was nine and came home bloody and beaten, clothing ripped and dirt from head to toe. His mother had taken one look at him and silently set him in one of the kitchen chairs. Wesker had been able to tell she was upset with him even through her silence. It was a few minutes before she began to speak as she cleansed his wounds.  
  
"What have I told you about fighting?" His mother had asked.  
  
"That I shouldn't fight and that I would be grounded the next time I did, but Matt called me a bastard because I don't have a father." Wesker's younger self replied.  
  
His mother hadn't said anything at that she just continued to clean his cuts. When she was finished she lifted his head to look directly at her.  
  
"You are not a bastard, your father and I were married long before you were born. He loved you so much when he was alive. Your father use to sing and rock you to sleep every night." His mother's eyes had filled with tears at that point but she continued. "Your father was a good man, and a good police officer and that's why he isn't here anymore."  
  
At that Wesker had flung his arms around her neck and begged her not to cry. He'd promised not to fight anymore. It was a promise he kept until she passed away.  
  
Again Wesker had to pull himself out of his thoughts and focus on the reason he was here.  
  
Turning around Wesker walked back through the living room and took the stairs two at a time. He knew he'd stayed here to long. Wesker had only planned to get the ring and leave not walk down memory lane. Standing in the second floor hallway there where two doors to his right and two to his left. Ignoring the two to his left, one was his room the other a guest room, Wesker passed the first door on his right, which was a bathroom and headed to the door next to it. Entering his mother's room he was instantly drawn to the pictures on her nightstand. One of them was Wesker's father in full dress uniform. David Wesker had light brown hair and gray eyes. His smile was warm and inviting and he was young, being twenty-six in the photo. It was the last picture of his father ever to be taken six months later David Wesker had been killed in the line of duty, trying to stop a bank robbery. Rosalie Wesker had become a widow at twenty-three. Looking at the rest of the pictures Wesker saw one was of him in high school, he wasn't smiling, he never did in photos. His hair was much like it was now just a little longer over the collar and ears, too long to spike on top but still combed straight back. He hadn't started wearing sunglasses all the time yet, that had happened after his mother's death. Wesker was however wearing his signature black, it was a black T-shirt and even though you couldn't see it he was sure he had on black jeans. Looking at the picture that sat next to it, he saw his mother and his father standing in front of this very house. His mother was extremely pregnant and his father was standing behind her his arms wrapped around her, his hands resting on the bulge of her stomach, much like the way Wesker, himself had held Isabel only yesterday. They seemed so happy in the picture no one would have guessed that three short years later it would have all ended.  
  
Taking one last look at the pictures Wesker went over to the closet. Long ago his mother had shown him a hiding spot better than any safe. At the bottom of the closet in the back left hand corner there were three loose floorboards. Lifting them out of place, he was rewarded with the small wooden jewelry box his mother had always used. Wesker knew there was only one peace of jewelry in it but opened it anyway. There lying in the blue silk lined box was the ring he'd traveled so far for. It was sapphire set in gold, the stone was a perfect oval, the top of the band that connected to the setting had an ivy leaf design etched into it. It was a simple, but beautiful. Thinking about placing the ring on Isabel's hand, Wesker allowed himself a small smile.  
  
Closing the lid to the box, Wesker sat it on the floor next to him as he replaced the floorboards. Making sure the closet door was securely shut he left the room shutting the bedroom door behind him. In the silence of the house Wesker stood for a moment thinking about what it would be like to raise his child, no his children here. He could almost hear Isabel in the kitchen making breakfast, their little one running around in the family room. By then Isabel would undoubtedly be pregnant again, maybe for a third time. Shaking his head Wesker cleared such thoughts away. It wasn't a possibility, Isabel was safer were she was, the normal happy family picture was something that couldn't happen. For an instant he thought about not going back, leaving her in the safety of Redfield's care. Wesker couldn't do it, he was far to selfish a man. He wanted to be with her and their child. Wesker wanted her to have his name and when the time was right more of his children. In the end instead of returning the box to it's hiding place, getting into his jeep and driving away from her, Wesker tucked the box more securely under his arm and headed down the stairs. He walked out of the house with out so much as a final glance, locking the door behind him. No one was on the street as Wesker made his way to the jeep, the neighborhood stood quiet. Everyone was either at work or school and Wesker drove away from the house unnoticed.  
  
Half way through his journey home Wesker started to contemplate selling his mother's house, it had served it's purpose. It had kept Isabel's ring safe for twenty years and it almost seemed a shame that it had stood empty all that time. Wesker knew he would never go back, like everything else in his past there was nothing there for him anymore. In the end he decided that selling the house was a decision that he and Isabel would make together, he would talk to her about it. Once Wesker made his decision, he realized that he had begun to think of the farmhouse as home. Not because he'd just spent the last month and a half there, but because that's where Isabel was, awaiting his return.  
  
Rosalie was celebrating her second day of life by sleeping contently in her mother's arms, having just fed. Looking at her daughter Isabel was filled with a joy she thought she'd never know. It was funny how much her life had changed in a few short hours. Now everything she did revolved around Rosalie, Isabel slept when she slept, ate when she could and showered only when someone in the house could watch her daughter for a few moments. Isabel knew she should probably lay Rosalie down in her bassinette and get some sleep herself, but she didn't have the heart to. Instead she continued to rock Rosalie in the chair her father had so meticulously restored for her.  
  
Leon, Claire and Jill sat at the kitchen table talking about baby names, when they heard Wesker's jeep pull up. Not knowing who it was they were immediately alert, but didn't rush to any conclusions, knowing Wesker was due back at anytime. Wesker entered the kitchen a few minutes later jewelry box in hand, looking unusually rumpled. He had two days worth of beard on his face, his hair was slightly more spiky than usual and his shirt looked like it had never met an iron.  
  
"Where's Isabel?" were the first words out of his mouth.  
  
"She's, um, in the nursery." Leon answered nervously.  
  
Wesker didn't give him time to continue and was so focused on seeing Isabel he didn't give a second thought about the way Leon was acting. Turning on his heal, he made his way back to the nursery, taking his sunglasses of in the process.  
  
Opening the door Wesker stood there in stunned disbelief as he took in the sight before him. There Isabel sat in her rocker, holding a tiny infant with blonde hair sticking up all over.  
  
"We had a slight change of plan," Isabel told him giving a slight smile, "Come meet your daughter."  
  
Wesker couldn't move, and could barely breath. A daughter, he had a daughter.  
  
When Albert didn't immediately come over to them, Isabel started to stand, which snapped him out of his daze. Motioning for her to stop and sit back, Wesker placed the box he'd almost forgotten about on top of the nearby dresser and walked over to the two women that silently awaited him.  
  
"How... When did you...?"  
  
"How would be the usual way and as for when I went into labor about an hour after you left. She was born at four thirty P.M. February twenty fourth.  
  
This close Isabel could tell Albert had a slight beard and looked a little less put together than usual, but to her he never looked better.  
  
"Can I...May I hold her?" Wesker asked more nervous than Isabel had ever seen him.  
  
"Of course she is your daughter." Isabel replied handing the sleeping infant to him.  
  
Gingerly Wesker placed one hand under Rosalie's head for support and his other under the rest of her body. He'd never in his life held and infant before and never dreamed he'd be holding his own child.  
  
Standing by Albert's side Isabel intently watched father and child for a few minutes before speaking.  
  
"Rosalie Ann Wesker this is your father, see I told you he'd be back soon."  
  
Rosalie awoke for a few minutes unhappy about being jostled during the move from her mother to her father. Opening her eyes and flailing her arms slightly to show her discontent, she was rewarded by her father bringing her up to his chest, where she immediately nestled in and went back to sleep.  
  
"It seems you got your wish, she has my eyes." Wesker stated looking down at Isabel.  
  
"Yes and your hair and if that display was any indication, your temper as well."  
  
"God help us then." He replied smiling at her.  
  
Isabel chuckled too, she knew with both of them she would have her hands full.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Wesker asked after a moment of silence.  
  
"I'm still a little sore, but I've been on a kind of high for the last few days."  
  
"So am I right now." Wesker replied, instinctively rubbing his daughter's back.  
  
Rosalie was so small part of Wesker was terrified to hold her. He was afraid he might hurt her. Wesker was torn between handing her back to Isabel and continuing to hold her close to him. In that instant he made a silent promise to Rosalie that nothing would ever hurt her.  
  
"Of course you and I are going to talk about your timing." Isabel said after a moment.  
  
"I knew this was coming, how much did you curse me?"  
  
"Oh, with every other breath, but I'm glad you're back now."  
  
"I have something for you." Wesker said reluctantly hand his daughter back to her mother.  
  
Walking over to the dresser, Wesker lifted the lid on the jewelry box and pulled out the ring.  
  
"Lay Rosalie in the crib for a minute I want to do this the right way." He stated, walking towards her.  
  
Isabel nodded her head in compliance, walking over to the crib and gently laying her still sleeping daughter in it. Turning around, she realized that Albert had followed her.  
  
"Will you marry me?" Wesker asked, taking her left hand in his and slipping the ring on the appropriate finger. It fit perfectly as if it had been made for her.  
  
Isabel didn't say a word she just put both her arms around his neck, went up on tiptoe and kissed him. Albert immediately put his arms around her back and pulled her as close as he could to him. It had been months since he'd been able to hold her this close and it felt good to be able to do so now. When the kiss ended he didn't release Isabel, happy to just be near her.  
  
"Your beard scratches." Isabel said looking into his eyes and smiling.  
  
"You didn't answer my question." He replied returning her gaze.  
  
"Yes I will marry you." Isabel answered still looking into his eyes  
  
Once Albert's eyes had frightened Isabel, they had been cold and hard, like the rest of his demeanor. Now all she saw when she looked into them was love and warmth. She knew that he would never be this way with anyone other than herself and their children, but he had learned to accept the others because they were her friends and family and somehow that was enough.  
  
As Wesker looked down at Isabel, he was filled with an emotion he thought would never touch him, love. She had given him her heart, a daughter and a small part of his humanity back. For the first time in twenty years he felt as if he were truly home. 


	19. Epilogue

Isabel Marie Landen became Isabel Marie Wesker four months after Rosalie's birth. It was a small ceremony at the justice of the peace. Rosalie Wesker slept through the whole thing in her father's arms. Everyone was there to witness and event that no one thought would happen. As soon as the ceremony was over Claire made a beeline for the restroom, her morning sickness finally kicking in. Leon found out that day just how right Isabel had been, when he tried to comfort her and she told him to get the hell out.  
  
Upon finding out he was going to be a father Leon had joined the police force of the small town they lived in, to support Claire and the baby. For the most part Claire's pregnancy went without a hitch and almost eight months to the day after Rosalie's birth Claire gave birth to a baby boy, who she and Leon agreed to name after Steve Burnside and Chris. It had really been Leon's idea and Claire was grateful to him for it.  
  
Jill and Chris announced their engagement a few days after Isabel's wedding, not wanting to steal her spot light.  
  
Carlos and Rebecca were taking their relationship slow and easy, neither one of them wanting to screw it up. Carlos could still irritate Rebecca faster than anyone with his jokes, but along the way she had found out exactly how to make him blush also and used it when he got out of line too much.  
  
For a group of people that had been thrown together in the most unlikely of circumstances , they had found love, life and laughter with each other and knew that together they could face anything and be all right. 


End file.
